The Ocean's Pearl
by phoenixfeather20111
Summary: Percy, and Thalia by accident run into another demigod, trespassing on the Hunter's camp. The girl's name is Katrina Bowes, and insists they call her Kat. Percy learns she's loyal to her friends and a great warrior. But the group is puzzled about who her godly parent is. Will Kat Bowes stay undetermined forever, or will she finally find her bravery and tell them what she knows?
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: Hi everyone! This is a story I had written down when I was nine, and though you guys might enjoy it. (Don't worry I added stuff and edited) Please REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or the Greek myths, just my characters. **

**And I give you (drum roll) the Prologue! :) **

Prologue

"Dad?" Kat whispered.

"It's you're twelfth birthday, December 8, you know I can't keep you forever." Kate's dad whispered. "I've hidden you in my palace for two years, Zeus can't find you here, but it is time for you to go out into the world. Find Grover Underwood, the satyr, Grover will keep you safe."

"Percy's friend?" Kat stared into her father's sea green eyes, they matched her own. Her wavy strawberry blond hair was braided loosely down her back.

"Yes," Kat's father said calmly, "and remember don't let anyone know that you are my daughter, I will claim you myself later."

"When?" Kat looked up at her father. He chuckled, he still wasn't used to how she treated him like a person, not a greek god. She wasn't afraid to demand, ask, hug, or challenge him to friendly duel. And he had to agree, she was getting better with her sword, she was getting to the point where he had to use his godly powers to win. But now it was time for him to let her go, let her make friends at Camp Half-Blood, meet her siblings, and to train with demigods.

"When?" Kat repeated.

"Oh, in a few weeks." He replied casually.

"A few weeks!" Kat looked up at him sternly, "sooner!"

"Nope, my little bold one," he tapped her on the nose, "remember you're acting. Bye."

"Bye daddy!" Kat smiled, then walked into the forest.

**And now (pause for effect) what you've all been waiting for. . . Chapter 1! :)**

Chapter 1 An extra demigod 

Percy and Thalia were crouched on the ground prepared to die, the manticore shot another needle at him, and a silver arrow intercepted it in mid air,

"What the?" Percy wondered. Thalia groaned,

"No, not them!"

The Dr. Thorn suddenly was pushed off the cliff, and Percy saw Annabeth falling with him.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled. "No!"

Thalia jumped up and ran to the edge,

"She's gone Percy, we'll find her, I promise," Thalia's voice shook.

"Well, well, it's great to help out an old friend, Thalia Grace." A clear voice rang out.

"Hello, Zoe Nightshade," Thalia said coldly, her face was oddly locked in a cold stare at the young teenage girl. Percy brushed the snow off his jeans and spoke,

"I'm Perc-"

"I know who you are, male," Zoe said rudely, "come, Lady Artemis has asked you to come to her camp.

"Well," Percy said, looking at Bianca and Nico, "follow us."

* * *

><p>Percy watched Grover and Nicole get along so well together, he still couldn't believe Bianca had become a Hunter, and just like that, they had lost a demigod. And to a bunch of girls, who called themselves the hunters of Artemis. Percy heard a shout, then a cry, and then Phoebe entered, holding a girl, Percy thought it was Annabeth for a second, then realized the girl was eleven.<p>

"Let go of me," the girl cried, "just because you're a Hunter of Artemis and all that,doesn't mean you can kidnap innocent girls." The girl wrenched her arm away and tried to punch Phoebe, but the Hunter just held on to her tighter.

"Yeah, well you were snooping around our camp, trespasser, so I actually have a right," Phoebe retorted.

"Well this isn't your property," the girl with strawberry blond hair snapped, breaking free of the Hunter and stood there for a second wondering what to do. Then she asked, "what's a Hunter of Artemis?"

Phoebe laughed, and Thalia ran over and whispered something in the hunter's ear.

"Right, we could ask my lady?"

"No," Thalia said grimly, Grover came over, "Grover can figure it out for us, before we tell her anything."

"What's your name?" Grover asked kindly.

"Katrina, but please call me Kat," the girl said, she didn't seem surprised at all that he had goat legs.

"Okay, Kat," Grover asked, "could you tell me about your parents." Suddenly something flickered through Kat's sea green eyes, sadness.

"My mother was Erin Bowes, she was a carpenter, but she died when I was," Kat paused, "eight."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Grover said sincerely, "and your father?"

Kat paused thinking, then said "never saw him."

"You never knew him at all? No stories? Visits? Letters? Pictures?"

Kat winced, "nope."

"Really?!" Grover actually sounded surprised now, then sympathetic. Kat glared, and her green eyes flashed,

"Now don't act so surprised! Many children don't grow up with fathers or mothers, plenty of children have sob stories to tell. And I'm not the only one!" Kate's hands were on her hips, and she stared daggers at Grover. Percy stood up and grinned, Kat reminded him of Annabeth, a lot.

"Percy, we happened upon another one!" Grover said shocked.

Kat rolled her eyes. Percy grinned,

"Really?"

"Yes, Percy, she's demigod."

"What parent?"

"Athena maybe?"

"You guys understand I'm right here?" Kat asked, she snickered.

"Sorry," Grover and Percy said in unison. Kat rolled her eyes,

"Explain."

* * *

><p>Kat was laughing so hard now, Percy thought she'd explode, Nico was asking him so many questions, and many private ones, that Percy had a hard time answering them.<p>

"Go, play with Grover now," Kat urged Nico, seeing the exasperation on Percy's face, "Percy's tired." Nico ran off and Kat chuckled softly, "you're the son of Poseidon right?"

Percy nodded.

"And you control the water, earthquakes, talk to horses, animals under the sea, you have a brother that's a Cyclops, right?"

Percy nodded, "wait, how did you know?"

"Just a guess," Kat said hastily, "can you control getting wet and dry?"

"Yes," Percy nodded.

"Breath underwater?"

Percy nodded.

"Create air bubbles?"

"Yup."

"Cool." Kat stared off into the distance toward the water.

"Any ideas who your godly parent is?" Percy asked.

"No."

"You said that way to fast."

"Okay, maybe."

"Let's go down the line of gods, Zeus?"

"Definitely not, rule out the big three." Kat said.

Percy raised his eyebrows, "Grover told me you are a powerful demigod."

"Not that powerful," Kat said, still gazing at the ocean wistfully.

"Okay, Aphrodite, Hephestus, and Ares."

Kat shuddered, "murder Ares off that list."

Percy laughed, "what's wrong with Ares?"

"That god needs to be destroyed," Kat muttered.

"I like your thoughts," Percy said.

"Not Aphrodite, romance, blah. I don't know about Hephestus though, I love building random things."

"Okay," Percy said, "Apollo, Athena, and, we'll rule Artemis out."

"Definitely not Apollo, I suck at poems and singing."

"Maybe Athena?"

"Yup."

"Okay, Hera, thank goodness no, Hermes, and Dionysus."

"I hate grapes, they don't taste good, I hate crowds or parties, and definitely not Hermes, I'm afraid of heights, and those winged shoes make me shudder."

"Okay. That narrows it down to two gods, Hephestus, and Athena."

"No idea." Kat rolled her eyes, "I'll just wait until he claims me."

"Really?" Percy gasped, "I would have wanted to know until right away, but I had two weeks."

"Oh!" Kat said, trying to disguise it as a cough. Percy looked at her strange,

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need some water." Kat coughed again, then hastily retreated.

Percy stared at her as she ran away, "I wonder who her parent is," he muttered to himself.

**Hope you enjoyed it! Please REVIEW! Thanks for reading! :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: Hello, again. I hope you enjoy this chapter, please REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! And if you haven't read all of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians, I recommend you to not read my story until you have. Please REVIEW! **

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan is the only one who owns Percy Jackson. **

**And finally what you've all been waiting for. . . (Dramatic pause) . .Chapter 2!**

Chapter 2 The Quest for Artemis 

The group spent the night at the camp, and Percy couldn't help noticing Kat slip out of the tent. Percy followed her using Annabeth's baseball cap. Kat sat down on the beach and the cold waves crashed against the shore.

"Oh, please, not two weeks." Kat said aloud, "claim me before the two weeks are up." A wave crashed against the shore, spraying her with sea water. She shivered and got up and left.

* * *

><p>Early the next morning, Kat and the others were waiting for Artemis's twin brother, Apollo, he was going to take them to camp. Kat waited impatiently with the others, and couldn't help but notice the Hunters looking upset. They absolutely hated Apollo, she realized.<p>

"Step back and shield your eyes everyone," Artemis instructed everyone. Everyone shielded their eyes, and a giant bright fireball thing landed in front of them. It happened to be a hot (as in cool) car.

"Wow, Apollo's hot," breathed Thalia next to Kat, as Apollo stepped out of the car. Percy grinned,

"Thalia, he is the sun god." Percy pointed out.

"That's not what I meant." Thalia said. Percy and Kat rolled their eyes.

"What's up little sis, it's been while since you needed my help." Apollo flashed a perfectly white smile at the hunters that would make a normal girls swoon. The hunters gave him cold glares. Apollo grinned, icy glares.

"Brother, we've argued about this before, we are twins. We are the same age, I am not younger than you." Artemis protested, "I need you to take my hunters and these four demigods."

"Where to, little sis?" Apollo flashed another perfect smile.

"Camp Half-Blood," Artemis said calmly. The hunters groaned.

Apollo laughed, "really Camp Half-Blood? Alright, everyone in," Apollo motioned to the hot car.

"Um, how are we going to fit?" Nick voiced what everyone was thinking, "sir," he added as an after thought.

"Oh, I forgot," smile," to change," grin, "the car," Apollo grinned at the hunters like it was a very funny joke. Icy stares. "Okay." The car changed into a big enough car for them all. The hunters and Bianca crammed themselves in the back row. Percy opened the door and Thalia, Nico, and Kat climbed into the front. Percy climbed in after them.

* * *

><p>Kat and Nico were escorted to the Hermes Cabin until they were determined. Kat thought this was terribly funny for some reason, and it took awhile for her to stop laughing at the term 'undetermined.' And that very night they played capture the flag, and the campers lost again. Capture the flag ended with Thalia and Percy's fight, and Oracle of Delphi taking a walk to see Thalia's enemy, Zoe Nightshade. But Percy remembered very clearly, Kat running around with a sword, he was pretty sure wasn't one of the extra ones. He also noticed she knew how to use it. He decided to ask her about that later. Meanwhile, Kat lay on a section of Hermes Cabin thinking. She was occasionally slapping the Hermes campers from touching her stuff. She seemed to know where everyone was at all times. Kat enjoyed a few of the camp activities, but mostly spent time alone in the woods, near the beach, Percy even caught her in his cabin a few times. Kat was strange to most people, even the best pickpockets in the Hermes clan could not pickpocket her. She helped Malcolm, a son of Athena, figure out a great battle plan, for the next time the hunters visited. She had a temper that sparked as easily as a child of Ares. And was so quiet you wouldn't know she was right next to you until she spoke. Percy was now more than interested, to find out her godly parent. She seemed like a jack of all trades with the gods, and decided Hermes, only for second, when he realized she could only catch the Hermes kids pickpocketing, she did not pickpocket. She loved riding the pegasi, so he ruled out Poseidon, but then he had Blackjack. Percy soon put Kat's godly parent behind him in his worries for Annabeth, he kept having vivid nightmares, and sometimes woke in cold sweat. After a little spy work with Annbeth's hat, he realized Zoe would be leaving secretly, tomorrow morning. He packed a sack (no donuts for Blackjack) and waited until he saw the two hunters, Thalia, and Grover leave camp. Percy slipped out of his cabin and walked passed the other cabins to get to the stables. There he found Blackjack munching an apple. Percy climbed on Blackjack and they flew away.<p>

Kat knew something was up when she saw Percy slip into pegasi stables, so she of course followed him. Kat listened to Percy's argument with Blackjack, and watched him mount Blackjack and fly away. Kat didn't hesitate one moment, she found her favorite pegasi, Morning Mist, and mounted the almost pure white pegasi, and flew after Percy. She caught him on top of a building in New York, tied in grape vines, with Dionysus cackling.

"Hi, Mr D, it's great to see you here," Kat faked a grin, and hoped Mr. D wouldn't catch the sarcasm.

"Ah, Pat it's wonderful to see you here," Mr. D smiled at her, "can you talk sense into this boy?"

"Kat, and it depends, Mr. D," Kat said, rather shocked at Mr. D's expression towards her. Kat cut the grape vines that held Percy, the grape vines grew in seconds around Percy again. Kat groaned, "Mr. D we have a problem."

"Of course we do, dear," Percy's mouth dropped open, Kat choked, "a dangerous boy just escaped from camp. Shall I turn him into a dolphin?"

Kat seemed unfazed at the thought, instead she burst out laughing. Mr. D and Percy both looked confused.

"A dolphin, you're kidding, that just puts him in the water, and he loves water! I would just let him go on the quest. Who knows? He might die. And you would have gotten rid of a demigod, and that is one more dangerous demigod gone." Kat was choking on her laughter by now. But Percy looked angry, and Mr. D looked thoughtful,

"But who would be watching him to make sure he doesn't do anything wrong?" mused Mr. D.

"I would of course!" Kat said, her laughter stopped.

"Hmmmm. . ." Mr. D thought, "I like your idea, Pat! You've always had a good head on your shoulders. I wish you were mine, but no P-" Kat gave him a sharp look, "your father always gets the good ones." Mr. D yawned, "now, I must be off." Kat and Percy closed their eyes and Mr. D was gone in a flash.

"Finally, Mr. Sassy Grape Man is gone." Kat sliced through the grape vines holding Percy.

"What was that all about?" Percy snapped.

"What?" Kat looked innocently up at him.

"About me dying!"

"It got you away from Grape Man, didn't it?"

"Well, yeah, that's not the poin-"

"Are you going to complain? Because I could call Grape Man back here," Kat smiled a mischievous grin.

"Thanks for getting Mr. D off my hands," Percy said hastily, "now I have to go."

"We have to go," Kat corrected him, "you heard Grape Man, I am literally a dolphin if I don't come with you."

Percy glared, Kat smiled innocently,

"Fine!" Percy huffed.

"Yes," Kat whispered, "Finally."

**Reminder, please REVIEW! Thanks for reading! :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed my last chapter! I enjoyed writing this one, and will try to update quickly, but I happen to be very sick, so might not be able to for awhile. I hope you enjoy this chapter, please REVIEW! REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. **

**And finally. . . Chapter 3! :) **

Chapter 3 Danger at the Smithsonian

"We need to land, Percy," Kat called, "Morning Mist told me she's tired."

"Told you?" Percy criticized.

"I mean, I can tell," Kat shot back, "you know what I meant."

"No I didn't," Percy said, "because I can communicate with horses, I just got confused, that's all."

"And how can you speak to horses?" Kat demanded.

"Son of Poseidon," Percy said, "Poseidon-"

"Is the father of horses, blah, blah, blah." Kat said, "I know."

"Let's land here," Percy said, Blackjack began to descend.

"Good idea," Kat said. "Because we have company."

Percy instantly jerked around and stared at Kat,

"Who?!" He demanded.

"Dr Thorn," Kat whispered, pointing toward a man in a black suit.

"How-"

"No time to explain," Kat said, "watch." The pegasi circled above the manticore.

Percy uncapped his pen.

"No," hissed Kat.

Dr. Thorn was getting out of a black suburban. Then he looked around, like he was making sure the coast was clear, and started walking down the Mall in the direction of our friends.

"We need to follow him," Kat whispered, she landed Morning Mist behind some bushes. She was just about to sneak after Thorn when Percy grabbed her arm.

"I will watch Thorn, you go after Thalia and Grover." Percy hissed.

"If you think I'm just going obey you, just like that, than you better have a good reason," snapped Kat.

"I want to keep you safe," Percy whispered.

"Perseus Jackson, as if I can't care for my self. I'm a demigod too," Kat's green eyes looked dangerous, and Percy remembered how Kat had beat Clarice in a fight. Instantly Percy realized it would be dangerous to have her on his bad side.

"Fine," Percy tossed her an orange cap, she held it like it was priceless.

"You can have it," she tossed it back to him, "I'll be fine."

"No you won't," Percy said, "you haven't messed with Thorn." Percy turned around. Kat was gone. "Kat!" He yelled, and he slipped the invisibility cap on, Percy followed Thorn from a distance.

Kat grinned nearby, Percy hadn't looked hard enough, she had rolled under a bush as soon as he began speaking. When he turned invisible, she quietly followed. finally, Grover stopped in front of a big building that said NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM. The Smithsonian! Kat had always wanted to go, but of course, she had never gone. Thalia checked the door. It was open, but there weren't many people going in. Too cold, and school was out of session. They slipped inside. Dr. Thorn hesitated, he turned and headed across the Mall. Thorn crossed the street and climbed the steps of the Museum of Natural History. Kat slipped underneath the black suburban, and crawled out the other side, she slipped off her pearl bobby pin and twisted the second pearl. She pinned back a few strawberry blond curls. Immediately she disappeared. Kat followed Dr. Thorn. There was a big sign on the door. Kat followed Dr. Thorn inside, through a huge chamber full of mastodons and dinosaur skeletons. There were voices up ahead, coming from behind a set of closed doors. Two guards stood outside. They opened the doors for Thorn, and Kat had to sprint to get inside before they closed them again. Katy was in a room with a balcony as the second level. A bunch of mortal guards stood on the balcony, two reptilian women with double snake trunks instead of legs. Kat labeled them as Scythian Dracaenae, ancient snake women. Standing between the snake women, was a man. His skin was pale and his blond hair looked almost gray, he had a scar down the side of his face. Kat guessed this was Luke, Percy's enemy, and the lightning thief. Next to him, sitting down so that the shadows covered him, was another man.

"Well?" asked the man in the chair.

"They are here, General." Dr Thorn said.

"I know that, you fool," boomed the man. "But where?"

"In the rocket museum." Dr. Thorn said.

"The Air and Space Museum," Luke corrected irritably.

Dr. Thorn glared at Luke. "As you say, sir."

"How many?" Luke asked.

"How many?" the General demanded.

"Four, General," Thorn said. "The satyr, Grover Underwood. And the girl with the spiky black hair and the— how do you say— punk clothes and the horrible shield."

"Thalia," Luke said.

"And two other girls— Hunters. One wears a silver circlet."

"That one I know," the General growled. Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably. "Let me take them," Luke said to the General. "We have more than enough—"

"Patience," the General said. "They'll have their hands full already. I've sent a little playmate to keep them occupied."

"But—" Luke protested.

"We cannot risk you, my boy."

"Yes, boy," Dr. Thorn said with a cruel smile. "You are much too fragile to risk. Let me finish them off."

"No." The General rose from his chair, and Kat got her first look at him. He was tall and muscular, with light brown skin and slicked-back dark hair. He wore an expensive brown silk suit.

"You have already failed me, Thorn," he said.

"But, General—"

"No excuses!" Thorn flinched.

"I should throw you into the pits of Tartarus for your incompetence," the General said. "I send you to capture a child of the three elder gods, and you bring me a scrawny daughter of Athena."

"But you promised me revenge!" Thorn protested. "A command of my own!"

"I am Lord Kronos's senior commander," the General said. "And I will choose lieutenants who get me results! It was only thanks to Luke that we salvaged our plan at all. Now get out of my sight, Thorn, until I find some other menial task for you."

Thorn's face turned purple with rage, but he just bowed awkwardly and left the room. "Now, my boy." The General turned to Luke. "The first thing we must do is isolate the half-blood Thalia. The monster we seek will then come to her."

"The Hunters will be difficult to dispose of," Luke said. "Zoë Nightshade—"

"Do not speak her name!" Luke swallowed. "S– sorry, General. I just—"

The General silenced him with a wave of his hand. "Let me show you, my boy, how we will bring the Hunters down." He pointed to a guard on the ground level. "Do you have the teeth?" The guy stumbled forward with a ceramic pot. "Yes, General!" "Plant them," he said. In the center of the room was a big circle of dirt, where Kat guessed a dinosaur exhibit was supposed to go. Kat watched curiously as the guard took sharp white teeth out of the pot and pushed them into the soil. He smoothed them over while the General smiled coldly. The guard stepped back from the dirt and wiped his hands.

"Ready, General!"

"Excellent! Water them, and we will let them scent their prey."

The guard picked up a little tin watering can with daisies painted on it, then he began to Waterville it, it was dark red liquid. The soil began to bubble.

"Soon," the General said, "I will show you, Luke, soldiers that will make your army from that little boat look insignificant."

Luke clenched his fists. "I've spent a year training my forces! When the Princess Andromeda arrives at the mountain, they'll be the best—"

"Ha!" the General said. "I don't deny your troops will make a fine honor guard for Lord Kronos. And you, of course, will have a role to play—"

Kat thought Luke turned paler when the General said that.

"— but under my leadership, the forces of Lord Kronos will increase a hundredfold. We will be unstoppable. Behold, my ultimate killing machines."

The soil erupted. Kat stepped forward curiously. In each spot where a tooth had been planted, a creature was struggling out of the dirt.

The first of them said: "Mew?" It was a kitten. A little orange tabby with stripes like a tiger. Then another appeared, until there were a dozen, rolling around and playing in the dirt. Everyone stared at them in disbelief.

The General roared, "What is this? Cute cuddly kittens? Where did you find those teeth?" The guard who'd brought the teeth cowered in fear.

"From the exhibit, sir! Just like you said. The saber-toothed tiger—"

"No, you idiot! I said the tyrannosaurus! Gather up those… those infernal fuzzy little beasts and take them outside. And never let me see your face again."

The terrified guard dropped his watering can. He gathered up the kittens and scampered out of the room.

"You!" The General pointed to another guard. "Get me the right teeth. NOW!"

The new guard ran off to carry out his orders.

"Imbeciles," muttered the General.

"This is why I don't use mortals," Luke said. "They are unreliable."

"They are weak-minded, easily bought, and violent," the General said. "I love them." A minute later, the guard hustled into the room with his hands full of large pointy teeth. "Excellent," the General said. He climbed onto the balcony railing and jumped down, twenty feet. Where he landed, the marble floor cracked under his leather shoes. He stood, wincing, and rubbed his shoulders. "Curse my stiff neck."

"Another hot pad, sir?" a guard asked. "More Tylenol?"

"No! It will pass." The General brushed off his silk suit, then snatched up the teeth. "I shall do this myself." He held up one of the teeth and smiled. "Dinosaur teeth— ha! Those foolish mortals don't even know when they have dragon teeth in their possession. And not just any dragon teeth. These come from the ancient Sybaris herself! They shall do nicely." He planted them in the dirt, twelve in all. Then he scooped up the watering can. He sprinkled the soil with red liquid, tossed the can away, and held his arms out wide. "Rise!" The dirt trembled. A single, skeletal hand shot out of the ground, grasping at the air. The General looked up at the balcony. "Quickly, do you have the scent?"

"Yesssss, lord," one of the snake ladies said. She took out a sash of silvery fabric, like the kind the Hunters wore.

"Excellent," the General said. "Once my warriors catch its scent, they will pursue its owner relentlessly. Nothing can stop them, no weapons known to half-blood or Hunter. They will tear the Hunters and their allies to shreds. Toss it here!"

As he said that, skeletons erupted from the ground. There were twelve of them, one for each tooth the General had planted. They were turning into men, but men with dull gray skin, yellow eyes, and modern clothes— gray muscle shirts, camo pants, and combat boots. If you didn't look too closely, you could almost believe they were human, but their flesh was transparent and their bones shimmered underneath, like X-ray images.

The snake lady released the scarf and it fluttered down toward the General's hand.

Suddenly, Kat watched as the monster next to the General began falling over as if someone was running into them. Percy! The cloth suddenly disappeared before it reached the General.

"What's this?" bellowed the General. "An intruder," the General growled. "One cloaked in darkness. Seal the doors!"

"It's Percy Jackson!" Luke yelled. "It has to be."

Kat sprinted for the exit, hoping Percy was doing the same. Suddenly Kat's back exploded in pain, she heared a shirt being ripped. Kat glanced back, and saw the skeletons holding a torn sleeve and sniffing it, another skeleton's boney hands were covered in blood, her blood. Kat slipped out the door before the mortals shut it, and made a mad dash to the Space museum, slipping off her pearl bobby pin, and becoming visible again.

**I hope you enjoyed it, and if you haven't been hit with a needle by a manticore, you have to REVIEW! Thanks for reading, and do you see the the little button up there that says Favorite/Follow? **


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note: Hi! I'm feeling better, so I decided to update. Remember, I LOVE REVIEWS! Especially those long ones, with tips, criticism, and advice. I might give you guys two or three chapters at once if you give me those reviews. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter, here is 4. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO. **

Chapter 4 Trouble with the Nemean Lion 

Kat ran ahead of Percy as they dashed to the Space museum. They had to warn Thalia, Grover, Bianca, and Zoe of the skeleton warriors coming their way. Kat and Percy ran in, Kat saw Thalia and slid to a stop to avoid running into her. Percy wasn't so lucky,

_Smack! _

"Percy!" Kat hissed.

Thalia slammed into Apollo Space capsule, before Percy could regain his balance, Zoe and Bianca had arrows notched and aimed for his chest. When Zoe realized who it was, she didn't seem anxious to lower her bow.

"You dare to show thy face here!" She gasped.

"Percy! It's great to see you!" Grover exclaimed.

Zoe glared at him.

"I mean, wow, you aren't supposed to be here!" Grover said. Kat snorted.

"Luke!" Percy tried to catch his breath, "he's here!" Kat handed him a glass of water, "thanks."

The anger in Thalia's eyes immediately melted. She put her hand on her silver bracelet. "Where?"

Percy told them about the Natural History Museum, Dr. Thorn, and Luke. Kat told them about the General.

"The General is here?" Zoë looked stunned. "That is impossible! You lie."

"Why would I lie? Look, there's no time. Skeleton warriors—" Kat began.

"What?" Thalia demanded. "How many?"

"Twelve," Kat said. "And that's not all. That guy, the General, he said he was sending something, a 'playmate,' to distract you over here. A monster."

Thalia and Grover exchanged looks.

"We were following Artemis's trail," Grover said. "I was pretty sure it led here. Some powerful monster scent… She must've stopped here looking for the mystery monster. But we haven't found anything yet."

"Zoë," Bianca said nervously, "if it is the General—"

"It cannot be!" Zoë snapped. "Percy and Kat must have seen an Iris-message or some other illusion."

"Illusions don't crack marble floors," Kat told her. Zoë took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Percy didn't know why she was taking it so personally, or how she knew this General guy, but I figured now wasn't the time to ask.

"If Percy is telling the truth about the skeleton warriors," she said, "we have no time to argue. They are the worst, the most horrible… We must leave now."

"Good idea," Kat said.

"I was not including thee, boy and Kat," Zoë said. "You are not part of this quest."

"Hey, I'm trying to save your lives!"

"He's got a point," Kat glared at Zoë.

"You shouldn't have come, Percy," Thalia said grimly. "But you're here now. Come on. Let's get back to the van."

"That is not thy decision!" Zoë snapped.

Thalia scowled at her. "You're not the boss here, Zoë. I don't care how old you are!"

"You never had any wisdom when it came to boys," Zoë growled. "You never could leave them behind!"

Thalia looked like she was about to hit Zoë. Then everyone froze. Everyone heard a growl so loud Kat thought one of the rocket engines was starting up. Below us, a few adults screamed. A little kid's voice screeched with delight: "Kitty!" Something enormous bounded up the ramp. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur. Kat could tell Percy had seen this animal before, from the look of horror on his face.

"The Nemean Lion," Thalia said. "Don't move."

"Separate on my mark," Zoë said. "Try to keep it distracted."

"Until when?" Grover asked.

"Until I think of a way to kill it. Go!" Percy uncapped Riptide and rolled to the left. Arrows whistled past Kat, and Grover played a sharp tweet-tweet cadence on his reed pipes. Percy turned and saw Zoë and Bianca climbing the Apollo capsule. They were firing arrows, one after another, all shattering harmlessly against the lion's metallic fur. The lion swiped the capsule and tipped it on its side, spilling the Hunters off the back. Grover played a frantic, horrible tune, and the lion turned toward him, but Thalia stepped into its path, holding up Aegis, and the lion recoiled.

"ROOOAAAR!"

"Hi-yah!" Thalia said. "Back!"

The lion growled and clawed the air, but it retreated as if the shield were a blazing fire. "Hey!" Percy yelled. Kat didn't know what Percy was thinking, but Percy charged the beast. Percy slashed with Riptide, a good strike to the flank that should've cut the monster into Meow Mix, but the blade just clanged against its fur in a burst of sparks. The lion raked Percy with its claws, ripping off a chunk of Percy's coat. Percy ran up to the railing and jumped. Percy landed on the wing of an old-fashioned silver airplane, which pitched and almost spilled Percy to the floor, three stories below. The lion swiped at Percy, and Percy dropped onto the next exhibit, a weird-looking spacecraft with blades like a helicopter.

"Zoë!" Percy shouted. "Target the mouth!"

The monster lunged. An arrow zipped past it, missing completely, and Percy dropped from the spaceship onto the top of a floor exhibit, a huge model of the earth.

Suddenly, Kat realized she had just been watching the fight with wide eyes. She slipped off a bobby pin that was in her hair, and twisted the third pearl, it expanded into a sword. "Grover," Percy yelled. "Clear the area!" Groups of kids were running around screaming. Grover tried to corral them away from the monster just as the other cord on the spaceship snapped and the exhibit crashed to the floor. Thalia dropped off the second-floor railing and landed across from Percy, on the other side of the globe. The lion regarded the two, trying to decide which of them to kill first. Zoë and Bianca were above the two, bows ready, but they kept having to move around to get a good angle.

"No clear shot!" Zoë yelled. "Get it to open its mouth more!"

The lion snarled from the top of the globe.

"Thalia," Percy said, "keep it occupied."

She nodded grimly. "Hi-yah!" She pointed her spear and a spidery arc of blue electricity shot out, zapping the lion in the tail.

"ROOOOOOOAR!" The lion turned and pounced.

Thalia rolled out of its way, holding up Aegis to keep the monster at bay, and Percy ran for the gift shop.

"This is no time for souvenirs, boy!" Zoë yelled.

What is Percy doing? Kat thought wildly, as she took aim and threw her sword at the lion. It bounced off harmlessly, and the lion pounced toward her. Kat ran towards the lion, the lion was standing on a floor recently mopped, and just before she reached it's head, she dropped, and slid underneath it. Baseball style. On the other side of the lion she retrieved her sword and charged into the gift shop, to find Percy.

Kat dashed into the shop, knocked over rows of T-shirts, and jumped over tables full of glow-in-the-dark planets and space ooze. The sales lady didn't protest. She was too busy cowering behind her cash register. There! Percy was next to the far wall— glittery silver packets.

"Help me!" Percy cried, grabbing a bunch of the packets. Kate's eyes widened when she saw the label. Space Food. Percy ran out of the store and a few more shelves fell. The storekeeper cringed. Kat scooped more of the silver packets up and followed Percy. Zoë and Bianca were still showering arrows on the monster, but it was no good. The lion seemed to know better than to open its mouth too much. It snapped at Thalia, slashing with its claws. It even kept its eyes narrowed to tiny slits. Thalia jabbed at the monster and backed up. The lion pressed her.

"Percy," she called, "whatever you're going to do—"

The lion roared and swatted her like a cat toy, sending her flying into the side of a Titan rocket. Her head hit the metal and she slid to the floor.

"Hey!" Percy yelled at the lion. Percy hurled Riptide like a throwing knife. It bounced off the lion's side, but that was enough to get the monster's attention. It turned toward Percy and Kat and snarled. Percy charged, and as the lion leaped to intercept him, Percy chunked a space food pouch into its maw— a chunk of cellophane-wrapped, freeze-dried strawberry parfait. The lion's eyes got wide and it gagged like a cat with a hairball. Kat couldn't blame it.

"Zoë, get ready!" Percy yelled. Kat could hear people screaming. Grover was playing another horrible song on his pipes. Percy scrambled away from the lion. It managed to choke down the space food packet and looked at Percy with pure hate.

"Snack time!" Kat yelled, realizing Percy's plan. It made the mistake of roaring at Kat and Percy and Kat got an ice-cream sandwich and a freeze-dried macaroni dinner in its throat. Before the lion could stop gagging Kat and Percy shot in two more flavors of ice cream and a freeze-dried spaghetti dinner. The lion's eyes bugged. It opened its mouth wide and reared up on its back paws, trying to get away from them.

"Now!" Percy yelled. Immediately, arrows pierced the lion's maw— two, four, six. The lion thrashed wildly, turned, and fell backward. And then it was still. Alarms wailed throughout the museum. People were flocking to the exits. Security guards were running around in a panic with no idea what was going on. Grover knelt at Thalia's side and helped her up. She seemed okay, just a little dazed. Zoë and Bianca dropped from the balcony and landed next to me. Zoë eyed them cautiously.

"That was… an interesting strategy."

"Hey, it worked."

She didn't argue. The lion seemed to be melting, the way dead monsters do sometimes, until there was nothing left but its glittering fur coat, and even that seemed to be shrinking to the size of a normal lion's pelt.

"Take it," Zoë told me. "It is a spoil of war," she told me. "It is rightly thine."

"You killed it," Percy said. She shook her head, almost smiling.

"I think thy ice-cream sandwich did that. Fair is fair, Percy Jackson. Take the fur." Kat picked it up, and handed it to Percy. The fur was smooth and soft. It didn't feel at all like something that could stop a blade.

"We have to get out of here," Grover said. "The security guards won't stay confused for long." Kat noticed for the first time how strange it was that the guards hadn't rushed forward to arrest them. A few were running into the walls or each other.

"You did that?" Kat asked Grover, in horror.

He nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "A minor confusion song. I played some Barry Manilow. It works every time. But it'll only last a few seconds."

"The security guards are not our biggest worry," Zoë said. "Look." Through the glass walls of the museum, they could see a group of men walking across the lawn. Gray men in gray camouflage outfits. They were too far away for us to see their eyes, but Kat and Percy could feel their gaze aimed straight at them.

"Go," Percy said. "They'll be hunting Kat and I, we'll distract them."

"No," Zoë said. "We go together." Kat and Percy stared at her.

"But, you said—"

"You are part of this quest now," Zoë said grudgingly. "I do not like it, but there is no changing fate. You are the fifth quest member. And we are not leaving anyone behind." Kat suddenly cried out, and fell to her knees,

"Kat!" Percy exclaimed, "What's wrong?"

"My back!" Kat mumbled, before she blacked out.

**Haha! Cliffie! Anyway the more reviews, the more chapters you get next update. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Skeletons!

Instantly, Zoë was at her side,

"Percy! How long has she been like this?" Zoë demanded, rolling Kat onto her stomach. Ugly scratches were slashed across her back.

"I-I didn't know she was wounded," stuttered Percy.

"Ambrosia, quick," Zoë demanded, "And some water to wash this up. I'm surprised she managed to stay conscious for this long." Thalia opened her bag and handed Zoë a bag of ambrosia, Percy summoned some water from the drinking fountain nearby, and dropped it on Kat's back. Instantly Kat relaxed, and Zoë began cutting off the back of Kat's t-shirt. The water soaked into the ugly scratches, and Thalia began hand feeding Kat. After a few minutes, Kat woke up, and the wounds began to close.

"Are you okay?" Zoë asked, helping Kat to her feet.

"I think so," Kat muttered.

Everyone sighed with relief,

"And what hurt you like that?" Zoë said.

"The skeletons," Kat said, and she dashed into a nearby abandon store. She came back, holding a full back pack, a water bottle, and wearing a new shirt. All advertising the Smithsonian,

"You stole!" Zoë gasped.

"Did not," Kat said, "I left a twenty dollar bill on the counter." She slung her back pack over her shoulder, and glanced at the fast approaching skeletons. "Are we leaving, or not?"

After escaping from the skeletons, and dogging a helicopter that was following them, Kat and the others found themselves on the sub way, switching trains as often as possible. Finally, they found themselves at the end of the line. After getting off the train, they looked around. A homeless guy was standing at a trash-can fire, he gave them a toothless grin and said,

"Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!"

They huddled around his fire. Thalia's teeth were chattering. She said,

"Well this is g-g-g-great."

"My hooves are frozen," Grover complained.

"Feet," Kat corrected.

"Maybe we should contact camp," Bianca said. "Chiron—"

"No," Zoë said. "They cannot help us any more. We must finish this quest ourselves." Kat sighed, upset, she knew all about the quest, Annabeth was in danger. Artemis was in chains, and somewhere a doomsday monster was on the loose. And they were stuck on the outskirts of D.C., sharing a homeless person's fire.

"You know," the homeless man said, "you're never completely without friends." His face was grimy and his beard tangled, but his expression seemed kindly. "You kids need a train going west?"

"Yes, sir," Percy said. "You know of any?"

He pointed one greasy hand. Suddenly, a freight train, gleaming and free of snow was right behind them. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.

"That's… convenient," Thalia said. "Thanks, uh…" She turned to the homeless guy, but he was gone. The trash can in front of them was cold and empty, as if he'd taken the flames with him. An hour later everyone was rumbling west. There was no problem about who would drive now, because we all got our own luxury car. Zoë, Bianca, and Kat were talking in a Lexus on the top deck. Grover was playing race car driver behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. And Thalia had hot-wired the radio in a black Mercedes SLK so she could pick up the all rock stations from D.C. Percy joined Thalia.

* * *

><p>Kat was trying to find Percy, after trying a few cars, she found him talking to the homeless guy. She must of interrupted their conversation, because the first thing that came out of Percy's mouth was,<p>

"But where is Artemis?"

The homeless guy's face darkened. "I know a lot, and I see a lot. But even I don't know that. She's… clouded from me. I don't like it."

"Apollo?" Kat asked. The two jumped, and then stared at her.

"Fred," the homeless guy said, "call me Fred."

"A god named Fred?" Kat grinned.

"You too! Are you sure you guys aren't related?" Fred/Apollo said.

"What?" Percy looked confused.

Kat laughed, "me and Percy related? Your kidding," she struggled to keep her giggles in.

"And Annabeth?" Percy ignored Kat.

Fred/Apollo frowned. "Oh, you mean that girl you lost? Hmm... I don't know."

"What about the monster Artemis was seeking?" Kat asked, her giggles had stopped. "Do you know what it is?"

"No," Fred/Apollo said. "But there is one who might. If you haven't yet found the monster when you reach San Francisco, seek out Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea. He has a long memory and a sharp eye. He has the gift of knowledge sometimes kept obscure from my Oracle."

"But it's your Oracle," Percy protested. "Can't you tell us what the prophecy means?" Apollo sighed. "You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explain his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear through the search."

"In other words, you don't know." Kat said, rolling her eyes.

Apollo checked his watch. "Ah, look at the time! I have to run. I doubt I can risk helping you again, Percy, but remember what I said! Get some sleep! And when you return, I expect a good haiku about your journey!"

* * *

><p>Thalia shook Kat awake,<p>

"Kat wake up," she urged, "It's morning." Kat could vaguely hear Grover waking Percy up in the seat next to her. Outside were snowy mountains dotted with pine trees, the sun rising red between two peaks. Kat groaned and rolled over,

"Five more minutes."

Thalia laughed, "you sleep just like Percy!"

"Hey!" Percy protested.

We'd arrived on the outskirts of a little ski town nestled in the mountains. The sign said WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT, NEW MEXICO. The air was cold and thin. The roofs of the cabins were heaped with snow, and dirty mounds of it were piled up on the sides of the streets. Tall pine trees loomed over the valley, casting pitch-black shadows, though the morning was sunny. You could pretty much see everything from there: a school, a bunch of tourist stores and cafes, some ski cabins, and a grocery store.

"Great," Thalia said, looking around. "No bus station. No taxis. No car rental. No way out."

"There's a coffee shop!" said Grover.

"Yes," Zoë said. "Coffee is good."

"And pastries," Grover said dreamily. "And wax paper."

"Do think they might have Hot Chocolate?" Kat asked.

Thalia sighed. "Fine. How about you three go get us some food. Percy, Bianca, and I will check in the grocery store. Maybe they can give us directions." They agreed to meet back in front of the grocery store in fifteen minutes.

* * *

><p>Later they met up again, Zoë, Kat, and Grover arrived with the drinks and pastries. Hot chocolate for Bianca, Kat, and Percy. Coffee for Zoë, and Grover, and Kat and Percy had blueberry muffins. Kat looked at Percy then at Bianca,<p>

"Are you guys okay?" Kat asked, Bianca was shooting Percy glares.

"Nothing," Bianca said, taking a drink of her hot chocolate.

"We should do the tracking spell," Zoë said. "Grover, do you have any acorns left?" "Umm," Grover mumbled. He was chewing on a bran muffin, wrapper and all. "I think so. I just need to—" He froze. A warm breeze rustled past, like a gust of springtime had gotten lost in the middle of winter. Fresh air seasoned with wildflowers and sunshine. And something else— almost like a voice, trying to say something. A warning.

Zoë gasped. "Grover, thy cup."

Grover dropped his coffee cup, which was decorated with pictures of birds. Suddenly the birds peeled off the cup and flew away— a flock of tiny doves. Percy's rubber rat squeaked. It scampered off the railing and into the trees— real fur, real whiskers. Grover collapsed next to his coffee, which steamed against the snow. They gathered around him and tried to wake him up. He groaned, his eyes fluttering.

"Hey!" Thalia said, running up from the street. "I just… What's wrong with Grover?"

"I don't know," Percy said. "He collapsed."

"Uuuuuhhhh," Grover groaned.

"Well, get him up!" Thalia said. She had her spear in her hand. She looked behind her as if she were being followed. "We have to get out of here."

They made it to the edge of the town before the first two skeleton warriors appeared. They stepped from the trees on either side of the road. Instead of gray camouflage, they were now wearing blue New Mexico State Police uniforms, but they had the same transparent gray skin and yellow eyes. They drew their handguns. Thalia tapped her bracelet. Aegis spiraled to life on her arm, but the warriors didn't flinch. Kat pulled out her bobby pin, and twisted the third pearl, she was suddenly holding a sword. Kat shivered she could feel the skeleton's eyes boring into her. Percy drew Riptide, Zoë and Bianca drew their bows, but Bianca was having trouble because Grover kept swooning and leaning against her.

"Back up," Thalia said. The group started to— but two more skeletons appeared on the road behind us. They were surrounded. Then one of the warriors raised a cell phone to his mouth and spoke into it. Except he wasn't speaking. He made a clattering, clicking sound, like dry teeth on bone.

"It's near," Grover moaned.

"It's here," Percy said.

"No," he insisted. "The gift. The gift from the Wild."

"Will you guys be quiet," Kat snapped, "please, focus."

"We'll have to go one-on-one," Thalia said. "Four of them. Four of us. Maybe they'll ignore Grover that way, and Kat protect Grover."

"Agreed," said Zoë.

"The Wild!" Grover moaned. A warm wind blew through the canyon, rustling the trees, but they kept their eyes on the skeletons. Percy charged, the first skeleton fired. Time slowed down. Kat somersaulted in front of Percy and deflected the bullet. Another skeleton aimed it's baton at Percy, and Percy sliced off the arms. Kat karate kicked a skeleton in the stomach, and slammed her foot on it's leg. Splintering it to pieces. Suddenly, Kat paused and saw two skeletons shoot Percy in the back.

"Percy!" Thalia and Kat screamed.

**Hahaha, another cliffie. You guys _have _to start reviewing if you want me to end the cliffies. So REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Note: Thanks for reviewing, keep it up! I hope you enjoy this story. **

Chapter 6 The Wild Boar 

Percy landed facedown in the street. Percy got back up, the Nemean Lion's fur! Percy's coat was bulletproof. Thalia charged the second skeleton. Zoë and Bianca started firing arrows at the third and fourth. Grover stood there and held his hands out to the trees, looking like he wanted to hug them. Kat stood next to him, deflecting stray bullets, and kicking the skeletons when they got to close, otherwise she looked bored. There was a crashing sound in the forest to their left, like a bulldozer. Percy got to his feet and ducked a police baton. The skeleton Percy had cut in half was already fully re-formed, coming after him. There was no way to stop them. Zoë and Bianca fired at their heads point-blank, but the arrows just whistled straight through their empty skulls. One lunged at Bianca, and Kat thought she was a goner, but she whipped out her hunting knife and stabbed the warrior in the chest. The whole skeleton erupted into flames, leaving a little pile of ashes and a police badge.

"How did you do that?" Zoë asked.

"I don't know," Bianca said nervously. "Lucky stab?"

"Well, do it again!"

Bianca tried, but the remaining three skeletons were wary of her now. They pressed us back, keeping them at baton's length.

"Plan?" Percy said as they retreated.

Nobody answered. The trees behind the skeletons were shivering. Branches were cracking.

"A gift," Grover muttered.

"Grover, could you stop that," Kat urged, "you're scaring me."

And then, with a mighty roar, the largest pig they had ever seen came crashing into the road.

"REEEEEEEEET!" it squealed, and raked the three skeletons aside with its tusks. The force was so great, they went flying over the trees and into the side of the mountain, where they smashed to pieces, thigh bones and arm bones twirling everywhere. Then the pig turned on us.

Thalia raised her spear, and Kat held her sword high, but Grover yelled,

"Don't kill it!" The boar grunted and pawed the ground, ready to charge.

"That's the Erymanthian Boar," Zoë said, trying to stay calm. "I don't think we can kill it."

"It's a gift," Grover said. "A blessing from the Wild!"

The boar said "REEEEEET!" and swung its tusk. Zoë and Bianca dived out of the way. Kat pushed Grover out of the way.

"Yeah, I feel blessed!" Kat said, sarcastically.

"Scatter!" Percy yelled.

They ran in different directions, and for a moment the boar was confused.

"We are so dead!" Thalia said. "It wants to kill us!"

"Of course," Grover said. "It's wild!"

"Excuse me?" Thalia said, turning to Grover.

Kat shrugged.

"It's a gift," Grover insisted.

"So how is that a blessing?" Bianca asked.

"Exactly what I want to know, Grover!" Kat snapped, somersaulting out of the way. The pig seemed offended and charged for Kat. Kat rolled out of the way of its hooves and came up behind the beast. It lashed out with its tusks and pulverized the WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT sign.

"Keep moving!" Zoë yelled. She and Bianca ran in opposite directions. Grover danced around the boar, playing his pipes while the boar snorted and tried to gouge him. But Thalia, Kat, and Percy won the prize for bad luck. When the boar turned on the them, Thalia made the mistake of raising Aegis in defense. The sight of the Medusa head made the boar squeal in outrage. The boar charged them. They only managed to keep ahead of it becuase they ran uphill, and they could dodge in and out of trees while the boar had to plow through them. On the other side of the hill, Percy found an old stretch of train tracks, half buried in the snow. "This way!" Percy grabbed Kat's arm and they ran along the rails while the boar roared behind them, slipping and sliding as it tried to navigate the steep hillside. Ahead of them Percy saw a covered tunnel. Past that, an old trestle bridge spanning a gorge. Percy had a crazy idea.

"Follow me!"

Thalia and Kat slowed down— Percy didn't have time to ask why— but Percy pulled the two girls along and they reluctantly followed. Behind them, a ten-ton pig tank was knocking down pine trees and crushing boulders under its hooves as it chased them. Thalia, Kat, and Percy ran into the tunnel and came out on the other side.

"No!" Thalia screamed. She'd turned as white as ice, Kat wasn't doing so good either. They were at the edge of the bridge. Below, the mountain dropped away into a snow-filled gorge about seventy feet below. The boar was right behind us.

"Come on!" Percy said. "It'll hold our weight, probably."

"I can't!" Thalia yelled. Her eyes were wild with fear.

Kat just shook her head, and tried to scramble back up the hill. Percy grabbed hold of her and dragged her close to Thalia. The boar smashed into the covered tunnel, tearing through at full speed.

"Now!" Percy yelled at Thalia and Kat. Thalia looked down and swallowed. Kate's face was pale, her eyes full of terror. The boar was charging through the tunnel, straight toward them. Percy tackled the girls and sent them both sideways off the edge of the bridge, into the side of the mountain. They slid on Aegis like a snowboard, over rocks and mud and snow, racing downhill. The boar was less fortunate; it couldn't turn that fast, so all ten tons of the monster charged out onto the tiny trestle, which buckled under its weight. The boar free-fell into the gorge with a mighty squeal and landed in a snowdrift with a huge POOOOOF! Thalia, Kat, and Percy skidded to a stop. They were all breathing hard. Percy was cut up and bleeding. Thalia had pine needles in her hair. And Kat's hair had gone wild. Next to them, the wild boar was squealing and struggling. It was wedged completely in the snow. It didn't seem to be hurt, but it wasn't going anywhere, either. Percy looked at Thalia and Kat.

"You guys are afraid of heights."

Now that they were safely down the mountain, their eyes had their usual angry look.

"Don't you ever, ever, Perseus Jackson, do that to me again!" Kat screamed, punching Percy in the stomach. Percy doubled over trying to catch his breath.

"Remind me," Percy wheezed, "to never get on you're bad side again."

"If you tell anyone, I swear—" Thalia glared at Percy.

"No, no," Percy said. "That's cool. It's just… the daughter of Zeus, the Lord of the Sky, afraid of heights?" She was about to knock Percy into the snow when, above us, Grover's voice called,

"Helloooooo?"

"Down here!" Kat shouted. A few minutes later, Zoë, Bianca, and Grover joined them. They stood watching the wild boar struggle in the snow.

"A blessing of the Wild," Grover said, though he now looked agitated.

"I agree," Zoë said. "We must use it."

"Hold up," Thalia said irritably. "Explain to me why you're so sure this pig is a blessing."

Grover looked over, distracted. "It's our ride west. Do you have any idea how fast this boar can travel?"

Grover took out his pipes. He started playing a snappy tune and tossed an apple in front of the boar. The apple floated and spun right above the boar's nose, and the boar went nuts, straining to get it.

"Automatic steering," Thalia murmured. "Great." She trudged over and jumped on behind Grover, which still left plenty of room for the rest of them. Zoë, Kat, and Bianca walked toward the boar.

"Wait a second," Percy said. "Do you three know what Grover is talking about— this wild blessing?"

"Of course," Zoë said. "Did you not feel it in the wind? It was so strong… I never thought I would sense that presence again."

"What presence?"

"The Lord of the Wild, of course. Just for a moment, in the arrival of the boar, I felt the presence of Pan."

"The presence of Pan, Percy," Kat said, awed, "We have been granted a great honor."

**I hope you guys enjoyed it, please REVIEW. And I hope this doesn't count as a cliffhanger. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note: Hi guys! Long time no update, sorry. Anyway please REVIEW! **

**Disclaimer: Don't own PJO.**

Chapter 7 Kat gets into a few fights, and The Junkyard 

In Kat's perspective, the ride was horrible. She was so bruised up, she wondered if she would be the same again. Kat stumbled off the bull, when Grover stopped it, and straight into the water as the boar drank. Everyone climbed out sopping wet,

"Lucky Percy," Thalia grumbled.

Kat laughed, "Doesn't it feel good?"

"No, I'm freezing!" Thalia snapped.

"Someone is a little grouchy," taunted Kat.

"You little. . ." Thalia cursed in Greek, as Kat dumped her water in her water bottle on Thalia's head. Suddenly lightning landed near Kat, and Thalia drew her spear angrily. Kat stepped back eagerly.

"Um, Kat, you really don't want this fight," Percy warned, he was perfectly dry. Kat ignored him, her sword was out and ready, anger flashing through her eyes. Her strawberry blond hair was soaked, and so was her shirt, but she didn't notice. The two demigods radiated energy. The whole group could feel it, Thalia growled, and Kat laughed. Thalia lunged, Kat side stepped and blocked. Thalia pulled a knife out of her belt and stabbed, Kat did a cartwheel out of the way, and landed in the water. Thalia obviously did not want to go in, but her opponent was there so she approached. Kat watched, Thalia lunged again, but this time Kat locked her sword on the spear and the force wrenched it from Thalia's hands. But Thalia didn't give up, she tapped her bracelet, and Aegis spiraled out. Kat didn't hesitated, she karate kicked the shield, sending Thalia under water. Kat pulled a knife out of her belt and placed it under Thalia's chin.

"Looks like I beat you, Lightning Girl," Kat grinned. Thalia's eyes crackled as if with electricity,

"Looks like you did, Kat," Thalia said. "Are you going to let me up?"

"Maybe in a few centuries," Kat laughed.

"Kat!"

"Did you say something?"

"Kat!"

"Fine!" Kat smiled, "And Lightning Girl?"

"Yeah?"

"You're letting your anger control your weapon. You need to control your anger, and control your own weapon. You can think a lot clearer that way in the middle of the fight and anticipate the next move."

* * *

><p>In Gila Claw, the nearby town, a deathly white limo was driving the streets. The back door of the limo opened right next to the group. Before they could step away, the point of a sword touched Percy's throat. Thalia had to restrain Kat, who had suddenly grown angry. Zoë and Bianca drew their bows. As the owner of the sword got out of the car, Percy moved back very slowly. He smiled cruelly.<p>

"Not so fast now, are you, punk?" He was a big man with a crew cut, a black leather biker's jacket, black jeans, a white muscle shirt, and combat boots.

"Ares," Percy growled. Instantly, Kat exploded, she managed the escape Thalia, and marched up to Ares.

"What are you doing here Ares?!" Kat snapped, waving her knife in his face. "I had the impression you had, how do you word it, more important matters to deal with!"

"Oh, Katrina Bowes, long time no see," Ares said, flashing her grin.

"Oh right," Kat said sarcastically, "I heard you were in trouble with Zeus, grounded weren't you?"

"Kat!" Ares said, it sounded like a whine, "I did NOT get grounded."

""Sure did," Kat laughed.

"Watch it, punk-"

"Kat."

Kat," Ares growled. The war god glanced at the rest of the rest of the group. "At ease, people." He snapped his fingers, and their weapons fell to the ground. "This is a friendly meeting." He dug the point of his blade a little farther under Percy's chin. "Of course I'd like to take your head for a trophy, but someone wants to see you. And I never behead my enemies in front of a lady."

"What lady?" Thalia asked. Ares looked over at her.

"Well, well. I heard you were back." He lowered his sword and pushed Percy away. "Thalia, daughter of Zeus," Ares mused. "You're not hanging out with very good company."

"What's your business, Ares?" she said. "Who's in the car?"

Ares smiled, enjoying the attention. "Oh, I doubt she wants to meet the rest of you. Particularly not them." He jutted his chin toward Zoë and Bianca. "Why don't you all go get some tacos while you wait? Only take Percy a few minutes."

"We will not leave him alone with thee, Lord Ares," Zoë said.

"Besides," Grover managed, "the taco place is closed."

Ares snapped his fingers again. The lights inside the taqueria suddenly blazed to life. The boards flew off the door and the CLOSED sign flipped to OPEN.

"You were saying, goat boy?"

"Go on," Percy told them. "I'll handle this." Kat could definitely catch the worry in his voice.

" You heard the boy," Ares said. "He's big and strong. He's got things under control."

"Right," Kat crossed her arms, and glared at Ares with pure hate, "I'm not leaving him."

"Kat," Thalia said, "we probably should."

"You guys can go." Kat said, stubbornly, "I'm sticking to Percy."

"It's your death," Thalia muttered, as the group walked to the taco shop.

"Love you to," Kat called sarcastically to Thalia.

Thalia just laughed, and the group disappeared into the taco shop.

Kat motioned to the limo, "who's in there?"

"Not saying," Ares gave her an evil grin. Kat knocked on the window, and it rolled down.

"Hello, deary," the pretty woman waved at her. Kat almost gagged,

"Hello," she choked, and backed from the car. "Is Percy going in there?" She asked.

"Yes," Ares said.

"I am definitely staying out here," Kat grinned, and turned toward Percy, "Go on, Percy, you'll love it." She snorted, and burst out laughing. Humour tugged at Ares mouth to, and Percy eyed them warily. Ares got serious,

"Get inside, punk," he said. "And mind your manners. She's not as forgiving of rudeness as I am."

Percy climbed inside, and Kat watched through the window, she was laughing so hard Ares wondered if she would die laughing. Kat finally caught her breath from laughing, and turned sharply to Ares,

"Don't you dare touch him," she said, alarmingly, "you know what I'd do."

"Alright," Ares said, and Kat headed toward the taco shop.

They were standing once again, in the junkyard. Kat turned to Percy,

"Let me guess, Aphrodite was trying to hook you up with a girl?"

Percy's cheeks flamed.

"I knew it!" Kat burst out laughing. "Aphrodite will never learn." Everyone stared at her and she had the feeling they were waiting for Aphrodite to do something to her. She rolled her eyes, and then yawned.

"I'm going to bed."

"Thee are not!" Zoë said.

"Well, what has the mighty Hunter want to do then?" Kat said.

"We are going to cross this junkyard," Zoë said.

Kat gasped and looked at her, "In the dark?"

"There is a full moon tonight, plenty of light," Zoë said.

"Aphrodite said to be careful in her husband's junkyard. Aphrodite said not to pick anything up." Percy said.

Zoë narrowed her eyes. "She's right, but Aphrodite has led many heroes astray."

"For once I agree with Zoë," Thalia said. "You can't trust Aphrodite."

"I definitely agree with Zoë," Kat said.

"So," Percy said, anxious to change the subject, "how do we get out of here?"

"That way," Zoë said. "That is west."

"How can you tell?" In the light of the full moon, Zoë rolled her eyes at Percy.

"Ursa Major is in the north," she said, "which means that must be west." She pointed west, then at the northern constellation, which was hard to make out because there were so many other stars.

"Oh, yeah," Percy said. "The bear thing."

Zoë looked offended. "Show some respect. It was a fine bear. A worthy opponent."

"You act like it was real." Percy said.

"Because it was real," Kat said.

"Guys," Grover broke in. "Look!" They had reached the crest of a junk mountain. Piles of metal objects glinted in the moonlight: broken heads of bronze horses, metal legs from human statues, smashed chariots, tons of shields and swords and other weapons, along with more modern stuff, like cars that gleamed gold and silver, refrigerators, washing machines, and computer monitors.

"Whoa," Bianca said. "That stuff… some of it looks like real gold."

"It is," Thalia said grimly. "Like Percy said, don't touch anything. This is the junkyard of the gods."

"Junk?" Grover picked up a beautiful crown made of gold, silver, and jewels. It was broken on one side, as if it had been split by an axe. "You call this junk?" He bit off a point and began to chew. "It's delicious!"

Thalia swatted the crown out of his hands. "I'm serious!"

"Oh my, look at this!" Kat pointed at a dark blue triton. She picked it up, water sprouted out of it dousing them all. Everyone glared at her. "Sorry," she laughed, as Percy dried in a instant.

"Look!" Bianca said. She raced down the hill, tripping over bronze coils and golden plates. She picked up a bow that glowed silver in moonlight. "A Hunter's bow!" She yelped, as the bow began to shrink, and became a hair clip shaped like a crescent moon. "It's just like Percy's sword!"

Zoë's face was grim. "Leave it, Bianca."

"But—"

"It is here for a reason. Anything thrown away in this junkyard must stay in this yard. It is defective. Or cursed."

Bianca reluctantly set the hair clip down.

"I don't like this place," Thalia said. She gripped the shaft of her spear.

"You think we're going to get attacked by killer refrigerators?" Percy asked.

"Or killer laundry machines," Kat spotted a laundry machine nearby.

Thalia and Zoë gave them a hard look.

"Zoë is right, Percy and Kat. Things get thrown away here for a reason. Now come on, let's get across the yard."

Thalia said.

"That's the second time you've agreed with Zoë," Percy muttered.

"So much for Thalia and Zoë being enemies," Kat sighed.

"You wanted them to be enemies?" Percy stared at her.

"It's fun watching them bicker." Kat said. They started picking our way through the hills and valleys of junk. The stuff seemed to go on forever, and if it hadn't been for Zoë and constellations they would've been lost. All the hills pretty much looked the same. Finally, they saw the edge of the junkyard about half a mile ahead of us, the lights of a highway stretching through the desert. But between them and the road…

"What is that?" Bianca gasped. Bianca frowned. "They look like—"

"Toes," Grover said.

Bianca nodded.

"Really, real large toes," Kat said.

Zoë and Thalia exchanged nervous looks.

"Let's go around," Thalia said. "Far around."

"But the road is right over there," Percy protested.

"Quicker to climb over." Kat said.

Ping.

Thalia hefted her spear and Zoë drewdrew her bow, but then they realized it was only Grover. He had thrown a piece of scrap metal at the toes and hit one, making a deep echo, as if the column were hollow.

"Why did you do that?" Zoë demanded.

Grover cringed. "I don't know. I, uh, don't like fake feet?"

"Come on." Thalia looked at Percy and Kat. "Around." The two didn't argue. After several minutes of walking, they finally stepped onto the highway, an abandoned but well-lit stretch of black asphalt

"We made it out," Zoë said. "Thank the gods."

Behind us, the scrap mountain was boiling, rising up. The thing that rose up from the metal was a bronze giant in full Greek battle armor. He was impossibly tall— a skyscraper with legs and arms. He gleamed wickedly in the moonlight. He looked down at them, and his face was deformed. The left side was partially melted off. His joints creaked with rust, and across his armored chest, written in thick dust by some giant finger, were the words WASH ME.

"Talos!" Zoë gasped.

"Who— who's Talos?" Percy stuttered.

"One of Hephaestus's creations," Thalia said.

"But that can't be the original. It's too small. A prototype, maybe. A defective model." Kat said.

The metal giant didn't like the word defective. He moved one hand to his sword belt and drew his weapon. The sound of it coming out of its sheath was horrible, metal screeching against metal. The blade was a hundred feet long, easy. It looked rusty and dull, getting hit with that thing would be like getting hit with a battleship.

"Someone took something," Zoë said. "Who took something?" She stared accusingly at Percy.

Percy shook my head. "I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a thief."

Bianca didn't say anything.

"Run!" Grover yelped. Great advice, except that it was hopeless. At a leisurely stroll, this thing could outdistance them easily. They split up, the same way they did with the Nemean Lion. Thalia drew her shield and held it up as she ran down the highway. The giant swung his sword and took out a row of power lines, which exploded in sparks and scattered across Thalia's path. Zoë's arrows whistled toward the creature's face but shattered harmlessly against the metal. Grover brayed like a baby goat and went climbing up a mountain of metal. Bianca and Percy ended up next to each other, hiding behind a broken chariot.

Kat flipped behind the car, and Percy wondered why she always did gymnastics to get places.

"Hey, Talos!" Grover yelled, but the monster raised his sword, looking down at Bianca and Percy. Grover played a quick melody on his pipes. Over at the highway, the downed power lines began to dance. Talos whirled around, creaking and sparking.

"Get it to raise its foot!" Percy yelled.

"Why would I want to do that?" Kat yelled, "to get smashed!?"

"Kat!" Percy yelled in frustration.

"Fine, fine," Kat said agitated, as she somersaulted closer to Talos. When she got close, she picked up the water triton she had found, and aimed it at the left foot, she chucked it. It impaled it neatly, right in the middle. Kat dogged it's right foot, and pulled it out. She sliced off the tiny toe. And Percy stood next to her and made a gash in the big toe. Then Percy pushed her out of the way, and they tumbled backwards together. Percy helped her off the ground.

Zoë shot an arrow toward the monster's face and it flew straight into one nostril. The giant straightened and shook its head. Talos headed towards Percy and Kat, but Grover began frantically playing a shrill tune, and Kat shrieked, and clutched her ears. Taylor's turned toward Grover, and he took a step back then fell.

"Grover!" Thalia and Percy both ran toward him. The monster raised his sword to smash Grover. Then he froze. Talos cocked his head to one side, like he was hearing strange new music. He started moving his arms and legs in weird ways, doing the Funky Chicken. Then he made a fist and punched himself in the face.

"Go, Bianca!" Percy yelled.

Zoë looked horrified. "She is inside?"

The monster staggered around, and they realized they were still in danger. Thalia and Percy grabbed Grover and ran with him toward the highway. Zoë and Kat were already ahead of them.

Zoë yelled, "How will Bianca get out?"

The giant hit itself in the head again and dropped his sword. A shudder ran through his whole body and he staggered toward the power lines.

"Look out!" Percy yelled, but it was too late. The giant's ankle snared the lines, and blue flickers of electricity shot up his body. Talons began running away, body parts falling off randomly.

"Wait!" Zoë yelled. They ran after him, but there was no way they could keep up. Pieces of the robot kept falling off, getting in their way. The giant crumbled from the top down: his head, his chest, and finally, his legs collapsed. When they reached the wreckage they searched frantically, yelling Bianca's name. They crawled around in the vast hollow pieces and the legs and the head. They searched until the sun started to rise, but no luck. Zoë sat down and wept. Thalia yelled in rage and impaled her sword in the giant's smashed face.

Kat had found the water triton again, and she snapped it in half angrily, and she threw her sword at the left foot and screamed, full of rage. Then she broke down, and sobbed.

"We can keep searching," Percy said. "It's light now. We'll find her."

"No we won't," Grover said miserably. "It happened just as it was supposed to."

"What are you talking about?" Percy demanded.

"The prophecy. One shall be lost in the in the land without rain." Kat said, softly.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Burrito Fight! 

At the edge of the dump, they found a tow truck. The engine started, and it had a full tank of gas, so they decided to borrow it. Thalia drove. Zoë and Kat shared the passenger seat, and Grover and Percy got the back. The tow truck ran out of gas at the edge of a river canyon.

"Great. What now?" Percy muttered.

Kat scanned the horizon. There wasn't much to see. Desert in all directions, occasional clumps of barren mountains plopped here and there. The canyon was the only thing interesting. The river itself wasn't very big, maybe fifty yards across, green water with a few rapids, but it carved a huge scar out of the desert. The rock cliffs dropped away below us.

"There's a path," Grover said. "We could get to the river."

"That's a goat path," Kat squeaked.

"So?" he asked.

"The rest of us aren't goats." Percy said.

"Exactly," Kat said, as she and Thalia backed away from the edge.

"We can make it," Grover said. "I think."

Percy looked over at Thalia and Kat, and saw how pale they had gotten. Their problem with heights… they'd never be able to do it.

"No," Percy said. "I, uh, think we should go farther upstream."

Grover said, "But—"

"Come on," Percy said. "A walk won't hurt us."

Half a mile upstream, on the shore was a canoe rental operation that was closed for the season, but Kat left a stack of golden drachmas on the counter and a note saying IOU two canoes.

"We need to go upstream," Zoë said. "The rapids are too swift."

"Leave that to me," Percy said. They put the canoes in the water. Zoë, Kat, and Percy climbed into one canoe, Thalia and Grover got the other canoe. Percy looked over the edge of the boat and found a couple of naiads staring at him. Kat giggled, as a naiad playfully splashed her with water.

"Hey, could you guys push us upstream?" Percy asked, they naiads giggled again, and began to push the canoes.

"I hate naiads," Zoë grumbled. A stream of water squirted up from the back of the boat and hit Zoë in the face.

"She-devils!" Zoë went for her bow.

"Whoa," Percy said. "They're just playing."

"Have a sense of humour, Zoë," Kat said.

"Cursed water spirits. They've never forgiven me." Zoë turned to Kat, "sense of humor?"

"Forgiven you for what?"

She slung her bow back over her shoulder. "It was a long time ago. Never mind."

Zoë and Percy began talking and Kat trailed her hand in the water, and watched the naiads.

"Percy!" Kat said, "We have been blocked by Hoover dam."

"Hoover dam?" Percy said, and stopped talking with Zoë. Thalia and Grover turned to look to.

"Seven hundred feet tall," Percy looking at it.

"Built in the 1930s." Grover said.

"Five million cubic acres of water," Thalia said.

Grover sighed. "Largest construction project in the United States."

Zoë and Kat stared at them.

"How do you know all that?" Zoë asked.

"Annabeth," Percy said. "She liked architecture."

"She was nuts about monuments," Thalia said.

"Spouted facts all the time." Grover sniffled. "So annoying."

"I wish she were here," Percy said. The others nodded. Zoë was still looking at them strangely.

"We should go up there," Percy said. "For her sake. Just to say we've been."

"Thy are mad," Zoë decided. "But that's where the road is." She pointed to a huge parking garage next to the top of the dam. "And so, sightseeing it is." They had to walk for almost an hour before they found a path that led up to the road. It came up on the east side of the river. Then they straggled back toward the dam. It was cold and windy on top. On one side, a big lake spread out, ringed by barren desert mountains. On the other side, the dam dropped away like the world's most dangerous skateboard ramp, down to the river seven hundred feet below, and water that churned from the dam's vents. Thalia and Kat walked in the middle of the road, far away from the edges. Grover kept sniffing the wind and looking nervous. He didn't say anything, but Percy knew he smelled monsters.

"How close are they?" Percy asked him.

He shook his head. "Maybe not close. The wind on the dam, the desert all around us… the scent can probably carry for miles. But it's coming from several directions. I don't like that."

"There's a snack bar in the visitor center," Thalia said.

"You've been here before?" Percy askedha

"Once. To see the guardians." She pointed to the far end of the dam. Carved into the side of the cliff was a little plaza with two big bronze statues.

"They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built," Thalia said. "A gift from Athena." "Let us find the dam snack bar," Zoë said. "We should eat while we can."

Mooooooo!

"Did I just hear a cow?" Percy said, suddenly. Kat looked over the edge hastily then retreated.

"A cow?" Thalia laughed.

"No," Grover said.

"I'm serious." Percy insisted.

Zoë listened. "I hear nothing."

"Yeah," Percy said. "You guys go ahead. I'll be right in."

"What's wrong?" Grover asked.

"Nothing," Percy said. "I… I just need a minute. To think." They turned to leave, but Kat hesitated.

"I'll stay with you," She decided, sitting down on a near by bench. Percy looked over the edge, and began talking. Kat watched listened nearby. Out of the corner of her eye, Kat saw two men walking slowly toward them. They wore gray camouflage outfits that flickered over skeletal bodies. They passed through a group of kids and pushed them aside. Kat dashed toward Percy, without even bothering to stop and explain, she grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

"Kat!"

"No time to explain!" Kat yelled, "unless you want to get killed by a couple of skeletons. Which I don't advise."

Kat ran past the metal detector, pulling Percy along. The security guard at the metal detector yelled,

"Hey, kids!"

But Kat didn't stop. She ducked into an elevator just before it closed. A tour was taking the elevator, and the guide didn't notice they were being chased.

"We'll be going down seven hundred feet," the tour guide said cheerfully. She was a park ranger, with long black hair pulled back in a ponytail and tinted glasses.

"Don't worry, ladies and gentlemen, the elevator hardly ever breaks."

"Does this go to the snack bar?" Percy asked her. A few people behind him chuckled. The tour guide looked at him. Something about her gaze made Kat's skin tingle.

"To the turbines, young man," the lady said. "Weren't you listening to my fascinating presentation upstairs?"

"Oh, uh, sure. Is there another way out of the dam?"

"It's a dead end," a tourist behind me said. "For heaven's sake. The only way out is the other elevator." The doors opened. "Go right ahead, folks," the tour guide told us. "Another ranger is waiting for you at the end of the corridor." Kat and Percy didn't have much choice but to go out with the group.

"And young man," the tour guide called. Percy and Kat looked back. She'd taken off her glasses. Her eyes were startlingly gray, like storm clouds. "There is always a way out for those clever enough to find it." The doors closed with the tour guide still inside, leaving them alone. The second elevator was opening, and they heard an unmistakable sound— the clattering of skeleton teeth. Percy and Kat ran after the tour group, through a tunnel carved out of solid rock. It seemed to run forever. The walls were moist, and the air hummed with electricity and the roar of water. The two came out on a U-shaped balcony that overlooked this huge warehouse area. Fifty feet below, enormous turbines were running. Kat grabbed Percy's arm again, and dashed around. They stopped, trying to catch their breath and suddenly they heared a sound behind them. Instantly they spun around with their swords. Percy's sword passed right through her, but Kat caught herself in time.

"Oh my, wow!" she shouted. "Do you always kill people when they blow their nose?"

"You're mortal!" Percy gasped.

"Ugh! Percy you had to," groaned Kat. "Disturb a mortal. What's he going to do next?" She muttered under her breath.

The mortal girl looked at them in disbelief. "What's that supposed to mean? Of course. I'm mortal! How did you get that sword past security?"

"I didn't— Wait, you can see it's a sword?" Percy said, his mouth dropping open.

The girl rolled her eyes, which were green. She had frizzy reddish-brown hair. Her nose was also red, like she had a cold. She wore a big maroon Harvard sweatshirt and jeans that were covered with marker stains and little holes, like she spent her free time poking them with a fork.

"Well, it's either a sword or the biggest toothpick in the world," she said. "And why didn't it hurt me? I mean, not that I'm complaining. Who are you? And whoa, what is that you're wearing? Is that made of lion fur?" She asked so many questions so fast, it was like she was throwing rocks at them.

Kat laughed, "Well someone has a sense of humour. I'm Katrina Bowes, uh, lion fur?" The girl pointed at Percy's coat. Kat stated at it, it still looked like a regular brown coat to her. The girl must have been clear sighted. Kat and Percy stared at the girl.

Percy snapped his fingers. "You don't see a sword," Percy told the girl. "It's just a ballpoint pen."

The girl and Kat blinked.

"You are doing it wrong," Kat criticized.

"Um… no. It's a sword, weirdo." The girl said.

"Got it, Captain Obvious, but I agree with you, Percy is a weirdo," Kat said, giggling.

"Hey," Percy demanded. "And who are you?"

She huffed indignantly. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Now, are you going to answer my questions or should I scream for security?"

"No!" They burst out.

"We are kind of in trouble already, Rachel Elizabeth Dare," Kat said, "so you could let us hurry on our way?"

"In a hurry or in trouble?"

"Um, sort of both." Percy said.

She looked behind us and her eyes widened. "Bathroom!"

"What?"

"Bathroom! Behind me! Now!"

Kat pushed Percy behind Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and They slipped into the family restroom. They heard the clattering, hissing sounds of skeletons as they came closer. Percy's grip tightened on Riptide.

"They can't hurt mortals, Percy, their weapons are for demigods," Kat hissed.

"Right," Percy muttered.

Then Rachel started talking in her fire gun machine way of hers,

"Oh my god! Did you see those kids? It's about time you got here. They trried to kill me! He had a sword, for god's sake. You security guys let sword-swinging lunatics inside a national landmark? I mean, jeez! They ran that way toward those turbine thingies. I think they went over the side or something. Maybe he fell."

The skeletons clattered excitedly. The demigods heard them moving off. Rachel opened the door.

"All clear. But you'd better hurry." She looked shaken. Her face was gray and sweaty. Percy peeked around the corner. Three skeleton warriors were running toward the other end of the balcony. The way to the elevator was clear for a few seconds.

"I owe you one, Rachel Elizabeth Dare." Percy said.

"What are those things?" she asked. "They looked like—"

"Skeletons?" Kat asked.

She nodded uneasily.

"Well I think they have to something with Dragon teeth, you plant-"

"Kat!"

"She asked!"

"Rachel, do yourself a favor," Percy said. "Forget it. Forget you ever saw us."

"Forget you tried to kill me?"

"Now remember that!" Kat said.

"Kat! Forget that, too."

"But who are you?"

"Percy—" Percy started to say. Then the skeletons turned around. "Gotta go!"

"What kind of name is Percy Gotta-go?"

Percy and Kat bolted for the exit. The café was packed with kids enjoying the best part of the tour— the lunch. Thalia, Zoë, and Grover were just sitting down with their food. "We need to leave," Percy gasped. "Now!"

"But we just got our burritos!" Thalia said.

Zoë stood up, muttering an Ancient Greek curse. "He's right! Look." The café windows wrapped all the way around the observation floor, which gave them a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill us. Kat counted two on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to Arizona. Three more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them were armed with batons and pistols. But their immediate problem was a lot closer. The three skeletal warriors who'd been chasing Percy and Kat in the turbine room now appeared on the stairs. They saw them from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.

"Elevator!" Grover said. They bolted that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant ding, and three more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was accounted for, minus the one Bianca had blasted to flames in New Mexico. They were completely surrounded.

"Burrito fight!" he yelled, and flung his Guacamole Grande at the nearest skeleton. Grover's lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders. The other kids in the café saw it, and they went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming. The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere. In the chaos, Thalia and Percy tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table.

Kat snatched a few abandoned burritos on a table, and chucked them, and they all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grandes whizzing past their heads.

"What now?" Grover asked as they burst outside. The warriors on the road were closing in from either direction. They ran across the street to the pavilion with the winged bronze statues. The skeletons moved forward, forming a crescent around them. Their brethren from the café were running up to join them. They drew batons and advanced.

"Four against eleven," Zoë muttered. "And they cannot die."

"It's been nice adventuring with you guys," Grover said, his voice trembling.

"Percy, there, there's something I have to tell you," Kat whispered.

"Whoa," Percy said. "Their toes really are bright."

"What?" Kat said, her face looked completely confused.

"Percy!" Thalia said. "This isn't the time."

"Thalia," Percy said. "Pray to your dad."

"He never answers."

"Just this once," Percy pleaded.

"Do it!" Kat yelled.

"No!" Thalia said. "He won't answer me."

"This time is different!" Percy said.

"Who says?"

Percy hesitated.

"Athena." Percy and Kat said in unison suddenly getting the tour guide's words.

Thalia scowled like she was sure they'd gone crazy.

"Try it," Grover pleaded.

Thalia closed her eyes. Her lips moved in a silent prayer.

The skeletons closed in, Percy raised Riptide to defend them. Kat's bobby pin turned into a sword. Thalia held up her shield. Zoë pushed Grover behind her and aimed an arrow at a skeleton's head. A shadow fell over them. A flash of bronze, and all five of the baton-wielders were swept aside. The other skeletons opened fire. Percy raised his lion coat for protection, but Percy didn't need it. The bronze angels stepped in front of them and folded their wings like shields. Bullets pinged off of them like rain off a corrugated roof. Both angels slashed outward, and the skeletons went flying across the road.

"Man, it feels good to stand up!" the first angel said. His voice sounded tinny and rusty, like he hadn't had a drink since he'd been built.

"Will ya look at my toes?" the other said. "Holy Zeus, what were those tourists thinking?"

"Trouble!" Percy said.

"Get us out of here!" Thalia yelled. Both angels looked down at her.

"Zeus's kid?"

"Yes!"

"Could I get a please, Miss Zeus's Kid?" an angel asked.

"Please!"

The angels looked at each other and shrugged.

"Could use a stretch," one decided. And the next moment they were up in the air. Kat screamed, and one of her hands went over her eyes, the other clutching Percy's arm tightly. Thalia was doing the same on the other side. Percy just grumbled something about being stuck with the girls that were afraid of heights.


	9. Chapter 9

**I am so sorry for the mix up yesterday, I totally did not mean to do that. Thank you madeline2209 for telling me about that, I would have never noticed if it wasn't for her. That chapter belonged to my other story for Narnia if you were interested. And here is your update. Hope you like it :D Please REVIEW! Thanks to the guest and others that did REVIEW. **

Chapter 9 Nereus and Bessie

"Tell me when it's over," Thalia said. Her eyes were shut tight.

"Oh, oh," Kat mumbled.

The statue was holding on to them so they couldn't fall, but still Thalia and Kat clutched Percy's arms like it was the most important thing in the world.

"Everything's fine," Percy promised.

"Are… are we very high?" Kat whispered. Percy looked down. Below them, a range of snowy mountains zipped by. Percy stretched out his foot and kicked snow off one of the peaks.

"Nah," Percy said. "Not that high."

"We are in the Sierras!" Zoë yelled. She and Grover were hanging from the arms of the other statue. "I have hunted here before. At this speed, we should be in San Francisco in a few hours."

They sped up, the mountains fell away into hills, and then they were zipping along over farmland and towns and highways. Grover played his pipes to pass the time. Zoë got bored and started shooting arrows at random billboards as we flew by. Kat and Thalia kept their eyes closed the whole way.

"You did good back there," Percy told Thalia. "Zeus listened."

"Maybe," she said. "How did you get away from the skeletons in the generator room, anyway? You said they cornered you."

"Well," Kat jumped into their conversation, her eyes still closed, "We met a mortal, who helped us out."

"What!" Thalia gasped, Thalia's eyes were still screwed tightly shut.

"Her name was Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and she could see through the mist," Kat continued. "She help us by talking the skeletons the other way, while we hid."

"Yeah," Thalia said, "some mortals can see through the midst."

"Well, the girl was annoying," Percy said. "But I'm glad I didn't vaporize her. That would've been bad."

Thalia nodded, Kat snickered.

"Must be nice to be a regular mortal." Thalia said.

* * *

><p>"Where do you guys want to land?" Hank asked, waking Percy and Thalia up from a nap.<p>

"Whoa." Percy gasped.

"There," Zoë suggested. "By that building."

"Wherever you land, don't crash," whimpered Kat.

"Good thinking," Chuck said. "Me and Hank can blend in with the pigeons." Everyone, except Thalia and Kat, who still had their eyes closed, stared at Chuck.

"Kidding," he said. "Sheesh, can't statues have a sense of humor?" The angels let the demigods, satyr, and hunter off, and Kat sighed with relief.

"Well, since that night terror is over, what next?" Kat said. After a bit of arguing, and dead ends, a few angry silences, and a few awkward ones. They decided, they needed to know the mysterious monster, Artemis was seeking, that could end the gods.

"But how?" Percy asked.

"Nereus," Grover said.

"What?"

"Think, your last conversation with Apollo," Kat suggested.

Percy looked confused for a second, than he understood.

"The old man of the sea," Percy remembered. "I'm supposed to find him and force him to tell us what he knows. But how do I find him?"

Zoë made a face. "Old Nereus, eh?"

"You know him?" Thalia asked.

"My mother was a sea goddess. Yes, I know him. Unfortunately, he is never very hard to find. Just follow the smell."

"That doesn't sound good," Kat muttered.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"Come," she said without enthusiasm. "I will show thee."

Five minutes later, Zoë had Percy outfitted in a ragged flannel shirt and jeans three sizes too big, bright red sneakers, and a floppy rainbow hat.

"Oh, yeah," Grover said, trying not to bust out laughing, "you look completely inconspicuous now." Kat wasn't so lucky, she exploded with laughter. Percy gave her a glare and Zoë nodded with satisfaction,

"A typical male vagrant."

"Thanks a lot," Percy grumbled. "Why am I doing this again?"

"I told thee. To blend in." Zoë did a lot of searching near the water front, than pointed toward a soup kitchen. "He will be down there somewhere," Zoë said. "He never travels very far from the water. He likes to sun himself during the day."

"How do I know which one is him?"

"Sneak up," she said. "Act homeless. You will know him. He will smell… different." "Great." Percy didn't want to ask for particulars. "And once I find him?"

"Grab him," she said. "And hold on. He will try anything to get rid of thee. Whatever he does, do not let go. Force him to tell thee about the monster."

"We've got your back," Thalia said. She picked something off the back of Percy's shirt— a big clump of fuzz that came from who-knows-where. "Eww. On second thought… I don't want your back. But we'll be rooting for you."

Kat grinned, Grover gave Percy a big thumbs-up. Percy grumbled something about how nice his friends were, then headed toward the soup kitchen.

* * *

><p>"You caught him!" Zoë gasped.<p>

"You don't need to be so surprised," Percy muttered.

"Neat trick," Kat said.

"Thanks," Percy said.

Nereus moaned.

"Oh, wonderful. An audience for my humiliation! The normal deal, I suppose? You'll let me go if I answer your question?"

"I've got more than one question," Percy said.

"Only one question per capture! That's the rule."

They all looked at each other. This wasn't good.

"All right, Nereus. Tell me where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting."

The Old Man of the Sea smiled, "Oh, that's too easy," he said evilly. "He's right there." Nereus pointed to the water at my feet.

"Where?" Percy said.

"The deal is complete!" Nereus gloated. With a pop, he turned into a goldfish and did a backflip into the sea.

"You tricked me!" Percy yelled.

"Wait." Thalia's eyes widened. "What is that?"

"MOOOOOOOO!"

Percy looked down, and there the cow serpent, swimming next to the dock. She nudged Percy's shoe.

"Ah, Bessie," Percy said. "Not now."

"Mooo!" Grover gasped. "He says his name isn't Bessie."

"You can understand her… er, him?"

Grover nodded. "It's a very old form of animal speech. But he says his name is the Ophiotaurus." "T

"The Ophi-what?" Kat sputtered.

"It means serpent bull in Greek," Thalia said. "But what's it doing here?"

"Moooooooo!"

"He says Percy is his protector," Grover announced. "And he's running from the bad people. He says they are close."

"How did you get all of that in one moo?" Kat said. Grover ignored her.

"Wait," Zoë said, looking at me. "You know this cow?"

Percy told them how he saved the cow, and then cow had appeared in Hoover Dam, and now San Francisco bay, Thalia shook her head in disbelief.

"And you just forgot to mention this before?"

"Well… yeah."

"I am a fool," Zoë said suddenly. "I know this story! From the War of the Titans. My… my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we are looking for."

"Bessie?" Percy looked down at the bull serpent. "But… he's too cute. He couldn't destroy the world."

"Entrails," gasped Kat, "I think I remember now."

"That is how we were wrong," Zoë said. "We've been anticipating a huge dangerous monster, but the Ophiotaurus does not bring down the gods that way. He must be sacrificed."

"MMMM," Bessie lowed.

"I don't think he likes the S-word," Grover said.

"How could anyone hurt him?" Percy said. "He's harmless."

Zoë nodded. "But there is power in killing innocence. Terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy eons ago, when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods."

"MMMMMM!"

"Um," Grover said. "Maybe we could avoid talking about entrails, too."

Kat and Thalia stared at the cow serpent with wonder.

"The power to destroy the gods… how? I mean, what would happen?" Kat whispered .

"No one knows," Zoë said. "The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the Titans, but thy father, Zeus, sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the Ophiotaurus is reborn."

"We have to protect him," Percy told the group, "If Luke gets hold of him—"

"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered, Kat gasped, "The power to overthrow Olympus. That's… that's huge."

"Yes, it is, my dear," said a man's voice in a heavy French accent. "And it is a power you shall unleash."

The group spun around, they had been so occupied they had let themselves get ambushed. By Dr. Thorn himself.

"Where… where are the skeletons?" Percy asked the manticore.

"Oh, please, Percy," Kat said, "like we need more enemies to fight. We are surrounded as it is."

"Well, sorry," Percy snapped, "I felt like we needed a few more, you know, for practice?"

"Practice?" Kat said, "that's what you came up with?"

"Alright, I will change that sentence," Percy said, "I felt like we needed a few more, since we. . . You know what? I give up."

"Good," Dr. Thorn said.

"Not you, I meant me and Kat's argument."

"Kat and my argument," Kat corrected.

"Whatever," Percy said.

"This is a life and death situation, and thy are arguing about not having enough bad guys to fight," Zoë said amused.

"Yeah," Kat said, "Well, Nights, I'm surprised Dr. Thorn hasn't killed us yet, and is letting Percy and I argue." She smiled at the manticore, Percy couldn't help but think she was being dramatic.

"Nights?" Percy muttered.

"Nightshade." Kat said.

"Nicknames now?"

"Stop it, Seaweed Brain."

"Seaweed Brain?" Percy said angrily.

"Has someone called you that before?"

"Forget it."

Zoë notched an arrow, and aimed it for Dr. Thorn's head.

"No, Zoë," Kat said pushing the bow down, Zoë glared at her.

"Trust me, you may be immortal, and I only twelve, but it really isn't a good idea to shoot."

"For once, the girl is right, Zoë Nightshade," the manticore hissed.

"For once? If monsters kill demigods, why can't they be a little bit polite?" Kat muttered, "for once, seriously, it's common courtesy. Here, I'll demonstrate. You know, never mind. Spikes, here looks like he wants to talk to us."

"Spikes," Grover rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I do," Dr. Thorn said. "Thalia will help us raise Mount Othrys!"

"If that was supposed to sound dramatic, you totally failed," Kat commented. Dr. Thorn glared at her,

"Yes, Thalia ez turning sixteen soon, she shall help us get rid of ze godz, by sacrificing the Ophiotaurus."

"Thalia snap out of it." Percy said. Kat spun around and saw Thalia paralyzed and staring at Dr. Thorn with wide eyes.

"Thalia, your dad loves you," Kat said urgently, "he cares." Kat couldn't believe it, they had missed it all along. Thalia was turning sixteen in two days. In two days!

"Now Grover!" Percy yelled. Planks sprang up around the manticore's mortal guards, and around the manticore. Grover was playing his pipe again, Kat just squealed and clasped her hands over her ears. Percy grabbed Thalia and Kat, and Zoe and Grover followed. . . Into a dead end. A water fountain stood nearby. Percy slashed the top off, and group was instantly sprayed.

"Percy!" Kat groaned, "I didn't want to get wet!"

"Sorry."

Grover tossed a drachma into the mist,

"Camp Half-Blood." Percy said.

"Please, extremely kind goddess," Kat added, "it's a death wish." Kat definitely earned the most deadly glares in her life time, right there. The mist shimmered and Mr. D. appeared in front of them rummaging through a fridge.

"Excuse me?" He said

"What, you, where's Chiron?" Percy stuttered.

"Hi, Mr. D," Kat said brightly.

"Is that the way you greet a god, Johnson?"

"Hi," Percy amended.

"Good enough," Mr. D said taking a bite of a pop tart. "Hello, Kaye Bowman it is great to see you."

"It's Kat Bowes, Mr. D," Kat corrected,

"Don't bother, he will never call you Kat," Percy whispered.

"So we are kind of in some trouble right now," Kat ignored Percy, "and were wonderi-"

"Why do the heroes always want my help?"

"Always," Percy choked. "Really?"

"Yes, Peter," Mr. D said.

"They are coming," Thalia said urgently. Kat and Percy spun around and readied their weapons. Kat noticed a tear slip down Thalia's cheek, and Kat realized she had been cornered before, and this time she couldn't sacrifice herself for her friends. Kat sighed, how could they have let this happen? The mortals and manticore approached.

"You could say please, Percy Jackson and Katrina Bowes,"

"Please, Mr. D." Percy whispered.

* * *

><p>"Okay, I can't believe you said, Please to the annoying Wine Dude!" Kat said.<p>

"Well, it kept us alive didn't?" Percy said.

"Still," Kat said.

"Well, what's up with your nice act with him?"

"To keep myself from becoming a dolphin, or worse -"

"Worse what?"

"Shut it, Seahorse."

"Okay, let's go to the Chase's house, maybe they will help us." Thalia interrupted, "and what's up with the arguing?"

"Annabeth won't be there," Percy said.

"Of course not, Kelp Head," Kat said, "I can just see her kidnappers letting her stay at her house, wouldn't that be smart."

"Kat!" Thalia.

"Percy!" Zoë.

* * *

><p>"Out, out now!" Thalia screamed, pushing Percy and Kat out of the car. A lightning bolt hit Mr. Chase's car and it was completely destroyed.<p>

"I can't believe it! He wouldn't?" Thalia stumbled, "Dad!"

"Zeus did NOT send that lightning bolt Thalia," Percy said, "He would not kill you!"

"One shall perish by a parent's hand!"

"No Thalia, that wasn't Zeus," Kat said softly. "It was Kronos."

"Wait, where's Zoe?" Percy said nervously. Kat looked around, no sign of Zoe.

"Zoe!" Percy yelled.

"Fool!" Zoe snapped, right next to him."You do not want to wake up Ladon do you?"

"Ladon?" Percy said confused.

"The dragon."

"Right. . . what?"

"Oh, Percy," Kat snickered.

**Please REVIEW! Thanks for reading! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi, guys, please REVIEW, and enjoy. **

Chapter 10 Breath Mints and Atlas 

"So. . . Why does it smell like breath mints?" Kat asked.

"Eucalyptus," Zoe pointed to the trees around them.

"The stuff koala bears eat?"

"That's seriously crossed your mind Percy? Koala bears," Kat teased.

"Monsters eat it to, and dragons," Zoe said, "especially, dragons."

"Okay, why dragons, Huntress?' Kat asked.

"What's up with you and nicknames?" Percy asked.

"Shut it, Kelp Head, I asked the Mistress of the Hunters a question."

"If you had dragon breath you would eat Eucalyptus leaves to," Zoe said.

"Mistress of the Hunters?"

"Percy!"

* * *

><p>"Sisters," Zoe said.<p>

"We do not see any sister," one of the girls said coldly, "We see three demigods and a hunter. You shall die."

"No one," Kat began.

"Is going to die." Percy finished, stepping forward.

The girls studied the two,

"Percy Jackson and Katrina Bowes." One of them said.

"The two children of-"

"That doesn't matter at the moment," Kat said, "We really need to get around you."

"We do not see how you two are a threat," Another added.

"Threat?" Percy said confused. Kat's bobby pin turned into a sword in her hand.

"Okay, now we see," another girl announced watching the sword warily.

"Do not speak so loud," the leader said, "thy do not want to wake up Ladon."

"Jeez, Nights, they speak like you," Kat said.

"Thy never had any courage sister," Zoë said, sending a scowl at Kat, "Ladon wake!"

That was exactly the opposite of what Kat thought Zoë would do. The necks and heads began to shake, and turn, and open it's eyes. A few of the heads opened up and yawned. And Kat gagged, Ladon's breath smelled terrible.

"Thalia, go around on the left, Percy go right, Katrina go left after Thalia," Zoë instructed, "I will distract Ladon."

"That doesn-" Kat began.

"Do you have a better one?!"

"No. . ."

"Let's do this."

* * *

><p>They were on the other side of the garden. Kat watched Zoë weave through all the heads of Ladon in horror, they lunged, but she always got out of the way in time, but one lunge got her on the side, and Zoë leaped away. She was away from the dragon, and wounded. Her side was ripped and torn, the blood was turning to green, and Zoë's breath came in short gasps.<p>

"You're hurt!" Kat said.

"I'll be fine," Zoë gasped.

"Nights! Let me see!" Kat demanded, her green eyes flashed.

"No, young warrior, not now, Lady Artemis!" Zoë gasped and rushed to the feet of her mistress. Artemis looked terrible. She was straining to hold up the sky, Zoë fumbled with Artemis's chains but couldn't unlock them.

"The sky!" Kat gasped, "she's holding the sky!"

Everyone nodded grimly.

"My heroes it is, it is a trap, get away from here," Artemis gasped in pain.

"My mistress!" Zoë sobbed.

"How touching!" A voice boomed behind them. Kat spun around, the General!

The General stood in a sleek black suit, Luke stood besides him, and half a dozen dracenia were holding a sarcophagus. But what caught Kat's eyes, was a worn down girl, with curly blond hair streaked with grey, and shocking grey eyes. She held herself with pride, despite the fact her hands were chained behind her back, and Luke was holding a knife under her throat. She gave Percy a look, than glanced at Kat. That must be Annabeth, Kat realized.

"Luke," Thalia growled next to Zoë, "Let her go."

"That's the General's decision, Thalia, it is good to see you again," Luke smiled. His smile was tired, weak, and pale.

Thalia spat at him.

"So much for old friends," laughed the General.

"Wait, you are Atlas?" Percy said.

"So even the-"

"Whatever you are going to say, I advise you to word it kindly Atlas," Kat warned.

"I was going to say, even the stupidest of heroes can actually figure something out," Atlas grinned at her. Kat scowled,

"You call that kind," Kat snickered, "someone needs to learn their manners."

"Katrina Bowes and Percy Jackson, I will deal with you later, first I need to deal with this wretched girl," Atlas motioned toward Zoë. Percy and Kat's eyes boiled with anger,

"You are not touching Zoë," Percy spat out angrily.

"Oh? But heroes, I believe this is a family matter," Atlas grinned wickedly.

"Yes, Percy, Atlas is my father," Zoë gasped with pain, and Artemis glanced at her in concern. Zoë and Atlas let that sink in. Kat sighed. Atlas approached,

"So these are the greatest heroes of time?" Atlas chuckled, "weaklings." Kat growled angrily.

"Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon," Atlas mused, "not much of a challenge."

"Fight me and see." Percy said. Kat rolled her eyes.

"Has Chiron taught you nothing? The gods can not fight a mortal directly, we are bound by ancient rules."

"Then you are another coward then." Percy said. Kat snickered. Atlas turned difficulty away from Percy and looked at Kat.

"Katrina Bowes, daughter of-"

"Okay, Gigantor, Let me get this straight, you are Atlas, then why are you not holding the sky. We all know Artemis wasn't going to willingly take your burden for you. So how did you escape?"

Atlas sneered, "Luke took it, than the Athena rag-" Thalia was restraining Percy from attacking Atlas. "- felt pity on Luke and took the sky, than Artemis showed up and held it for the maiden, since Artemis has a heart for maidens."

"Alright then, Gigantor."

"Now my question."

"Shoot ahead."

"Gigantor?"

Kat stared at him in shock, "Gigantor, seriously?" Kat grinned mischievously, "Don't worry, even the stupidest titans figure things out eventually."

Percy snickered.

Atlas turned to Thalia,

"Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, it seems like Luke was wrong about you."

"No, I wasn't," Luke said, his breathing sounded ragged. "Thalia you can still join us, the Ophiotaurus will come to your call." He waved his hand, and a pool appeared nearby.

"Never!" Thalia spat.

"Please, Thalia, then it would be like the three of us again." Luke pleaded. "We are not weak Thalia, look," Luke pointed, and everyone followed his finger. Luke's boat, was emptied, the monsters approached, their footsteps marching up the mountain.

"Thalia, don't, okay?" Kat said.

For a terrible moment Thalia hesitated, she glanced at all of us and nodded. We understood, she wasn't joining Luke.

"Now!" Percy yelled, and the three charged. Except Kat, she knew what she was going to do. Thalia charged for Luke, Percy stupidly charged for Atlas, and Zoë was shooting arrows everywhere. Once Luke's knife disappeared from Annabeth's throat, Kat ran toward Annabeth, who stood there waiting patiently.

"Who are you!?" Annabeth retorted.

"Katrina Bowes," Kat said, her sword changed into her pearl bobby pin. Annabeth gasped,

"Like Percy's sword."

"Yes," Kat picked the chains lock and Annabeth rubbed her wrists.

"Hermes?"

Kat looked at her blankly.

"Your godly parent?"

"Right, undetermined."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Kat flipped her hair back and smiled, "It's fine."

"You must be new."

"Yes, they found me about a few hours after you got captured."

"Oh."

Kat turned and watched Percy fight, suddenly he lifted his sword like it weighed a mountain.

"Something is wrong," Kat whispered. Annabeth watched Percy,

"But what?" Annabeth wondered.

"Ares!" Kat growled. "His curse on Percy's sword. 'When you need it the most your sword will fail you.'"

"How did you know about that?" Annabeth asked.

"We. . . ran into Ares," Kat said, "he reminded Percy."

"That explains," Annabeth stated calmly.

"What's he doing, Kelp Head, is not that stupid!" Kat gasped, "forget that, I guess he is." Percy had taken the sky from Artemis, and it looked like it was crushing him.

"He will never survive that!" Annabeth said.

"You did."

"Barely."

"But you did."

"Still!"

"Oh, shut it, Smart Girl," Kat said, "Percy's strong, he'll survive this. Oh, Artemis, brilliant!"

"The, oh, I get it," Annabeth said, her gaze followed the titan's fight with the goddess.

"The strategy is perfect," Kat breathed, "Percy will survive."

"Maybe you're a daughter of Athena, you caught that plan almost before I did."

"Almost? Really, Chase?" Kat teased.

Annabeth looked surprised that Kat knew her last name, but smiled, and said, "Okay, before I caught it."

Suddenly, Artemis was swept off her feet by Atlas, and she didn't get up. Atlas prepared for the last strike.

"No! Father!" Zoë screeched, she sprang upon Atlas. But he swung his hand out and hit her. She crumpled in a pile of rocks, Kat couldn't see her. Atlas prepared to strike, but Artemis rolled over and sprang on him. He flew backwards and landed right where Percy was holding the sky. Percy loosened his hold on the sky and Atlas struggled to his knees, holding the sky. Percy rolled out from underneath the sky. A grey streak appeared in his hair, matching Annabeth's.

"Now, you are matching, say cheers," Kat held her sword again and charged.

"Father!" Annabeth ran over to Thalia and Luke's fight, lightning crashed around them, and Thalia pushed Luke back with her shield. Annabeth pleaded with them, than Luke said something, and Thalia kicked him.

"Noooo!" Annabeth yelled, but it was to late, Luke fell off the cliff.

Kat slayed the last dracenae, and called,

"Kelp Head! What were you thinking!?"

"Crazy things," he grinned at her, than ran over to Annabeth. The Princess Andromeda's crew were coming up the mountain fast. A Sopwith Camel swooped down and disintegrated a bunch of shocked monsters.

"Stay away from my daughter!" Mr. Chase yelled from the cockpit.

"Dad?" Annabeth looked up in surprise.

"Hello," he called, and shots rang out and more monsters disintegrated.

"That's my dad!" Annabeth gasped.

"Yeah, you have a pretty cool dad, Wise Owl." Kat smirked at Annabeth's face.

**Thanks for reading, please REVIEW! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Author Note: Thanks for the review, I just love them.**

**Disclaimer: I sadly don't own Percy Jackson. **

Chapter 11 Disintegration and Claimed

"Nights, stay with us," Kat pleaded, "just a little longer." Zoë smiled up at Kat.

"It is my time, young maiden," Zoë said, "keep your courage."

Artemis smiled kindly, and brushed a strand of hair off Zoë's face.

"I see the stars, my lady," Zoë whispered.

"They are beautiful tonight," Artemis said softly.

"Can't you do something?" Percy said, "you are a goddess."

"Yes," Artemis said, "but if they Fates will the strand to be cut, I can do nothing."

"Thalia," Zoë said, "I'm sorry we fought so much. We could have been friends."

"It's okay, Zoë," Thalia said softly.

"Oh, Nights!" Kat cried, tears streamed down her face.

"Bravery, Kat, remember your bravery," Zoë whispered. "The stars are bright tonight, my lady."

"Yes, they are," Artemis whispered.

"Did, I serve thee well?" Zoë asked.

Artemis nodded.

Zoë relaxed, her eyes closed, and Zoë was gone. Kat leaned against Thalia, sobbing quietly. Annabeth had tears in her eyes, and Thalia's face was wet.

"I hate, Atlas," Kat sobbed. Through her tears, you could see the rage written across her face. Artemis released her hands, and silver dust flew out of them and toward the sky. Annabeth gasped, and everyone looked up. A new constellation sparkled in the sky.

"The Huntress," Kat breathed quietly.

* * *

><p>Kat rode with Percy on Blackjack, and Percy was sure he heard his ribs crack from her grasp. Annabeth and Thalia had their own pegasi to ride, but Kat had insisted on riding with someone. They soon arrived in Olympus, and Blackjack landed, and Percy and Kat jumped off. Annabeth slipped off her pegasus, and Kat walked up to Thalia's pegasus. Thalia lay sleeping in on top the pegasus's back.<p>

"Monsters!" Kat screamed in Thalia's face.

Thalia gave a shout and fell off her pegasus.

"Gotcha, Pinecone Face," Kat laughed.

"Not funny, at all, Strawberry," Thalia snapped, getting off the floor, and Aegis became a bracelet again.

"Strawberry? My hair isn't that red!"

"Golden blond, mixed with red."

"You state that like a fact!"

"It is a fact," Thalia said grinning.

"Shut it, Pine Brain."

"No, you shut it, Strawberry."

"Both of you, shut it!" Annabeth ordered.

"Fine," the two girls said in unison. Percy rolled his eyes,

"Come on, we need to get to the meeting." Percy said. Kat suddenly paled,

"You know, I probably shouldn't go, I wasn't part of the quest," she said hastily, turning around.

Percy shook his head, "You are coming."

"Part of the quest?" Thalia said dumbfounded, "you were to part of the quest."

"Well, the prophecy stated that five people would go, not six." Kat said doubtful.

"Well, the prophecy was, er, wrong," Thalia said.

"Right," Kat rolled her eyes.

"You're coming," Percy grabbed her arm, and pulled her toward the council of the gods.

* * *

><p>"Wow," Kat breathed, "this is. . . cool, amazing, pretty, decorated, fancy, etc. All put together."<p>

"Yeah," Percy said.

"You guys made it!" Grover yelled, he had been kneeling in front of Zeus. Grover ran over to them, "the Ophiotaurus is here! We made it!"

"Great job, G-Man," Kat laughed, "Where is she, er, he?"

"MOOOOOO!"

Kat turned around, and saw the Ophiotaurus in a big water bubble, she figured Poseidon had something to do with that way of keeping him in water.

All the gods stared at them. Percy kept glancing at his dad, Thalia was giving her dad a long stare, Annabeth stood grinning at her mom, Grover kept giving the Ophiotaurus a sad look, and Kat, well, she stared at everything.

"You have to tell them Percy, they can't do it!" Grover said.

"What?" Percy said distractedly. Kat just snickered.

"Today, my heroes have done a great service for Olympus," Artemis said, she slipped from her throne, and became a girl with auburn colored hair. Kat caught Ares rolling his eyes, and Aphrodite gave a small dejected sigh. "We know about Mount Othry is coming back, and about Atlas's attempt for freedom. We have voted to act." There was a bunch of grumbling and shifting in seats from the gods, obviously they weren't to happy about this.

"At Lord Zeus's command," Artemis continued, "my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titan's cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you my heroes. . . "

Artemis turned to the other immortals. "These heroes have done a great service for Olympus." Aphrodite yawned pointedly, as if to say, _We never really needed Artemis back, she was a lost cause anyway._

Zeus, in his pin-striped suit, Hera sat on his left with silver hair and a dress that shimmered with the many colors of the peacock. Poseidon on Zeus's right was wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt. Next to Poseidon sat a misshapen man, Hephaestus, the Lord of the Forges. Hermes sat next to him, he was wearing a business suit, and constantly checking his phone for messages. Apollo leaned back in his golden throne with shades on. He also had iPod headphones on and probably was listening to music. And Ares sat on his black leather throne sharpening his knife, and sending glares at Percy.

On the girls side, next to Hera, a dark haired goddess in green robes, sat on a throne of a woven apple tree. She was Demeter, Goddess of Harvest. Next to her sat a grey eyed woman in a elegant white dress, she must be Athena. And last of all was Aphrodite who smiled and Percy blushed. Kat snickered, earning a glare from Percy.

"I gotta say," Apollo broke the silence, "these kids did okay." He cleared his throat and began to recite: "Heroes win laurels-"

"Right, um, first class," Hermes interrupted, anxious to avoid Apollo's dreadful poetry. Kat snickered louder, and Percy gave her the look to shut it. "All in favor of not disintegrating them?" Kat burst, she tumbled to the floor laughing. A few of the gods glanced at her, and a few tentative hands went up-Demeter and Aphrodite.

"Wait a minute," Ares growled, "these three are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here-"

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "we will not blast my children to bits."

_Children?_ Percy thought, _He must mean Tyson._

"Nor my daughter," Zeus said gruffly, "she has done well."

Thalia blushed.

Athena cleared her throat, "I am proud of my daughter, but the other three, they are a security risk."

"Mom!" Annabeth said, "how could you-"

"Annabeth, please." Athena silenced her, "As we know from the Great Prophecy, children from the three elder gods are dangerous. As thick headed as he may be, Ares has a point."

"Right!" Ares said, Kat snorted with laughter, "wait who are you calling-" A grape vine tied Ares to the chair,

"Please keep the fighting for later, Ares," Dionysus sighed.

"I will not have them punished," Artemis said. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, it makes us like titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it."

"Calm down, sis," Apollo said, "Jeez, lighten up a bit."

"Don't call me sis! I shall reward them."

"Well," Zeus grumbled, "perhaps, but the monster at least must be destroyed. We have an agreement on that?"

"Bessie, you want to destroy Bessie?" Percy blurted out.

"You guys can't kill, Bessie!" Kat pleaded.

Poseidon frowned, "You guys named the Ophiotaurus Bessie?"

"Totally Percy's idea," Kat said, "It's just easier to say than Ophi-what's it's name?"

"Ophiotaurus," A smile flickered across Poseidon's face.

"Dad," Percy said, "he's just a sea creature. A really nice sea creature. You can't get rid of him."

"Murder him," Kat corrected.

"You can't murder him," Percy said irritated. Kat flashed him a smile, and he just glared. She smirked.

Poseidon shifted in his seat, "Percy and Kat, the monster's power is incredible. If the titans were to steal it, or-"

"You can't," Percy insisted. "Besides, Bess-"

"Ophiotaurus." Kat corrected, saying the name correctly.

"The Ophiotaurus," Percy flashed her a glare, "is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. It's just as wrong as. . ."

"Stealing Zeus's lightening bolt, eating seafood, and playing a prank on Ares." Kat filled in his silence.

"Will you stop interrupting me!" Percy hissed.

"Well, you're the one who stopped talking, Bubble Boy," Kat smirked.

"Whatever, Strawberry."

Poseidon watched their argument, clearly entertained. "Okay, Kat and Percy, calm down."

Zeus considered their argument, and his eyes drifted over to his daughter Thalia.

"And the risk? We all know full well that if one of you heroes sacrificed the entrails, you would have the power to over throw us. Kronor knows this well. We can't let this possibility remain. And you, my daughter, turn sixteen tomorrow, and you know the Great Prophecy.

"You have to trust them," Annabeth piped up, "Sir, you have to trust them."

Zeus scowled, "trust a hero?"

"She's right," Artemis said, "I now must give my first reward. But I must speak to you privately, Father Zeus."

Zeus beckoned her forward, and Artemis whispered in his ear.

"I shall have a new lieutenant, as mine has passed." Artemis announced, "if she will accept it. Thalia, daughter of Zeus, will you join the Hunt?"

Kat was stunned, _did Artemis really want Thalia, the demigod who argued whenever she had the chance with the Hunters, part of the Hunt!?_ Thalia stepped forward,

"I will," She said firmly.

Zeus rose, "my daughter, consider well-"

"Father, I will not turn sixteen tomorrow, I won't let this prophecy be mine. I will stand with Artemis, Kronos will never tempt me again." Thalia said, she knelt in front of Artemis and said the pledge. Then she leaped up and hugged Percy.

Percy stuttered, and looked completely shocked, "you aren't supposed to, um, hug boys?"

"I am honoring a friend," Thalia corrected, "You will be the one of the Great Prophecy."

"Great," Percy groaned.

"Lucky you, Barnacle Boy," Kat grinned, "glad it's not me."

"And why would it be you?" Percy asked.

"That's a conversation for some other time, Kelp Head."

"Now for the Ophiotaurus," Artemis said.

"The boy is still dangerous," Dionysus warned. "The beast is a temptation for great power."

"No," Percy said, "please, keep the Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him under the sea, or in a aquarium on Olympus. But you have to protect him."

"Why should we trust you?" Hephaestus asked.

"Because he's Bubble Boy, and Bubble Boy is honest and loyal. That makes him trustworthy," Kat said, her eyes laughed. Percy gave her the look.

"I'm only fourteen," Percy said, "if the prophecy is about me, we have two years."

"Much can change in two years, young hero," Athena said.

"Mother!" Annabeth said.

"It is bad strategy to keep the animal and boy alive, my daughter," Athena said.

"Is Athena always like this?" Kat whispered. Annabeth just shrugged.

"I will not have the sea creature destroyed if I can help it," Poseidon said, standing up. His trident appeared in his open hand. "I will vouch for Percy and keep the Ophiotaurus safe."

"You won't take it under the sea," Zeus said, suddenly, "I won't have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession."

"Brother, please," Poseidon said.

Zeus's lightning bolt appeared in Zeus's hand, and electricity cracked through the air.

"I hate lightning," Kat muttered.

"Fine," Poseidon said, "The Ophiotaurus will be kept in aquarium on Olympus, Hephaestus can help me. And Percy will not betray us. I vouch for this on my honor."

"All in favor?" Zeus asked. Almost everyone's hand went up. Dionysus, Ares, and Athena were the only ones who did not raise their hand.

"We have a majority," Zeus decided, "since we aren't disintegrating these heroes today. ."

"Wow," Kat said, sarcastically," so we aren't getting disintegrated today, I was looking forward to that."

"We should honor them, let the triumph celebration begin!" Zeus said, dramatically.

Kat rolled her eyes, as music was cranked up and Nectar, Ambrosia, and mortal food over flowed the tables. Golden goblets filled with whatever drink you wanted, Grover nearly went crazy when he saw a table full of enchiladas.

"Knock yourself out, Goat Boy," Kat said, "I want to go talk to Demeter."

Grover bleated happily, and rushed to the table.

"Hello, Katrina Bowes, I heard you wanted to talk to me?" Demeter said gliding over to her. Her green dress flowed around her, and her dark brown hair was pulled back in a long braid.

"Yes, I was wondering what kind of cereal you would advise for a school day?" Kat said, grinning slightly.

"Definitely, Cinnamon Crunch, absolutely love that stuff, Cheerios are also good. But Katrina-"

"Please, call me Kat."

"Okay, Kat, I know that is not your reason for coming to me."

"Well, yeah, I guess we could talk later."

"Yes, later would be good."

Kat walked over and found Perrcy trying to convince Apollo he was no good at archery. Kat snickered, then saw Ares heading her way. _Great, just what I need,_ she thought sarcastically.

"Hi, punk." Ares said, giving her a nasty grin.

"Hey, Ares," Kat did her best not to scowl. Anger was boiling in her, Ares was messing with her emotions again.

"I suppose you did a good job," Ares said.

"Well, I can't believe you voted to kill Percy!"

"Bloodshed is my specialty."

"Lucky you, I thought Percy was going to start a big war, and you didn't want to mess that up?"

"Depends, I could have changed my mind."

"Wow, Ares, you are so smart," Kat said sarcastically.

"Why thank you, punk," Ares grinned wickedly.

Kat walked away, gods never got sarcasm.

"Hey, Kat wasn't it?" Someone yelled, "catch!" A minor godling tossed her a water sphere that held the Ophiotaurus.

"Mooooooooo!" Bessie protested.

Anger flared up in Kat,

"What do you think you're doing?" She snapped. "Tossing this special sea creature like a beach ball is not a good idea!" Kat suddenly recognised the godling. It was Triton, Poseidon and Amphitrite's son.

"Triton, I can't believe you! It's a sea creature!" Kat nearly yelled, "Dad is going to be so mad!"

"Whoa! Calm down, little lady," Triton said, hastily, looking up to see if Poseidon had heard Kat's cries, "the Ophiotaurus is safe, no harm done."

"Triton, a word." Poseidon said calmly, right next to Kat.

"Dad, I meant no harm-"

"Sure you did, a word, Triton."

"Yes, Father Poseidon."

Kat smirked, and headed toward the snack bar.

* * *

><p>Kat found Percy just cutting an Iris Message, he didn't appear so happy.<p>

"What's up?" Kat asked.

"It's my mom," Percy said, "I think she-" He broke off, "never mind, it's silly."

"Come on, it can't be that silly after what we've been through, bro. What's wrong?"

"She's got a boyfriend, I think."

"What's his name?"

"Paul Blofis."

"Excuse me, did you just say Paul Blowfish?" Kat cracked a smile, and her laugh rang out.

"Blofis."

"To bad, Blowfish are much more fun." Kat grinned. "Is she happy?"

"Yeah, I'm glad for her, just. . ." Percy hesitated.

"Just hard to deal with the fact?"

"Yeah."

"Makes sense Percy, I probably would have a hard time with it to." Kat said, understanding.

"Thanks, Kat."

"Anytime, bro."

"Bro?"

"Shut it, Barnacle Brains."

* * *

><p>"Quick!" Percy said, "Annabeth, Grover, and Kat. You have to help me find Nico, he ran away."<p>

"What did you say, Percy!?" Annabeth accused.

"Why is it my fault!?"

"You talked with him right before he left," Grover said.

"What about breaking Bianca's death slowly to him, Percy, did you not get?" Kat said, as they dashed into the forest.

"Well, it slipped out!"

"Great!" Kat groaned, "Nico!"

"We have a bigger problem guys," Percy said.

"Well, don't keep us in the dark, what is it?" Kat snapped.

"Nico!" Annabeth yelled.

"Nico is a son of Hades." Percy said.

"Then the prophecy could mean him." Annabeth gasped, "we must tell Chiron."

"No, I'm responsible for him, Nico can't bear the Great Prophecy, I will claim it myself. No other demigod should have to bear this Great Prophecy." Percy said, calmly."We can't tell Chiron."

"But if Luke gets a hold of him," Annabeth shivered, and she didn't finish the thought.

Kat and Annabeth told Chiron that he had run away angrily about his sister's death. Percy could tell that Chiron knew their was more to the story but he didn't question. Unfortunately, Nico wasn't the first half blood to disappear.

"So young," Chiron sighed.

* * *

><p>At the camp fire, everyone was solemn. Almost everyone knew that during the quest they had lost Zoë and Bianca, and now Nico had run away. Not that many people were in good spirits. Kat toasted a marshmallow half heartedly, then popped it into her mouth.<p>

"Well, are you going to stay all year?" Annabeth asked.

"Excuse me?" Kat asked, hastily swallowing her marshmallow.

"Stay at Camp Half-Blood, all year around?"

"I don't think so, I want to try out school," Kat said.

"Oh? Where are you going to stay?" Annabeth questioned.

"Not that far into the idea, yet."

"Oh."

Kat picked up her glass, and it automatically filled with Mountain Dew, "cheers for a okay quest."

"Zoë," Percy said lifting his cup into the air.

"And Bianca," Annabeth said.

"May they have a good time in the underworld," Kat laughed.

Annabeth gasped, and looked at her with shock.

"Oh, stop it Annabeth, I'm not that good looking," Kat laughed, then realized that all the campers had gone silent. Everyone was staring at her. Could she be? Kat looked up and sure enough she was being claimed.

"You, you're a. . ." Percy stared at her in shock. Chiron pushed himself through the crowd,

"Welcome, Katrina Bowes, daughter of Poseidon."

* * *

><p>Kat sat on the beach staring at the waves. Well, she had to admit it, she forgot that in two weeks she would be claimed. . .<p>

With the quest and all, it was actually easy to forget. . .

"You forgot, didn't you?" Someone chuckled behind her. Kat jumped and spun around as someone voiced her thoughts. "I thought so."

"Dad?" Kat asked.

"Yeah?"

"Dad!" Kat scrambled up, and hugged him. He just laughed, and waited for her to let him breath.

"You had fun, my pearl?" Poseidon asked.

"Yes." Kat said, bouncing excitedly.

"Good. You will always be my pearl." Poseidon whispered.

"The Ocean's Pearl. . ." Kat sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading this story! I loved writing it! So this is the end of this story, but there will be a sequel, I promise. I will update a little snap shot of the sequel onto this story so you know what it is all about. And on my profile, when I figure out the title of the sequel, I will post the title on there. Thanks for reading! Please REVIEW! <strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Author Note: The sequel to this story is here! I put in a little part in here for you guys to read. The sequel is called Uniting the Oceans. I hope you guys enjoy it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. **

* * *

><p><strong>The Demigods on the Quest. <strong>

Katrina Bowes is the main character of the story and the leader of the quest. She is the daughter of Poseidon. She has wavy blond hair that she dyes every few strands different colors. Her eyes are a bright sea green, and she is 5' 2".

Lacy Drew is a daughter of Aphrodite, her choice of weapon is a knife. She has long shiny black hair, that she normally pulls back into a braid, and purple eyes.

Mark Jardyn is a son of Ares, everyone thinks he is a little bit too nice, but if anyone mentions it they will earn a black eye. Mark has dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. His choice of weapon is a sword but he uses an electric spear often.

* * *

><p><strong>This is a little part from chapter 4 to get you fans excited. <strong>

They are standing next to a helicopter, Mark Jardyn is unconscious, and Lacy Drew and Kat Bowes are standing next to him. 

_Kat knew she was in trouble when she saw the airport sign, but not this much trouble._

"There's no way, I'm riding that thing!" Kat whimpered, suddenly turning as white as a ghost.

"You've got no choice," Lacy said, swinging open the doors.

"We don't have a pilot," Kat argued.

"I can fly." Lacy stated.

"You what?"

"Are you going to help me or not?"

"Right," Kat pushed Mark into the passenger seat.

Lacy threw their backpacks in, and climbed into the pilot seat.

Kat hesitated, she heard a roar, and screamed. Echidna was flying toward them fast. Lacy threw her knife, and it sliced through the monster's wing. Echidna fell from the air, and when she landed on the asphalt she exploded.

"Percy's going to kill me," Kat muttered, and she climbed into the seat and strapped her belt on. She reached out to swing the door shut when a pilot came running towards them shrieking. Someone with a camera snapped a picture. Kat could see the headline. TEENAGERS STEAL A HELICOPTER AND RIDE TO THEIR DEATHS. Kat swung the door shut and they rose into the air.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you guys enjoyed it, please read the sequel! The title is <span>Uniting the Oceans. <span>**


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